COMMUNITY MATTERS

The Peel District School Board, a regional municipality in t he Greater Toronto Area, voted unanimously on Jan. 25 to adopt the 31-page anti-Islamophobia strategy, co-developed by board staff and community partners, to create a detailed plan to affirm Muslim identities and dismantle Islamophobia – the first such move for a Canadian school board.

“It feels like a huge win, a historic moment and, really, like a turning point in our fight against Islamophobia, specifically within educational spaces,” Aasiyah Khan of the National Council of Canadian Muslims told The Toronto Star. The newspaper was part of the consultation process. “We’re really hoping that other [school] boards take note.”

She added, “Everyone is very excited, but we’re also mindful that we need to continue to work to ensure that this does come to fruition.”

In September 2021, the board passed a motion, introduced by then-trustee Nokha Dakroub, committing itself to developing an anti-Islamophobia strategy. Consultations were held with staff, students, families and community partners, including the Urban Alliance on Race Relations and the Council of Agencies Serving South Asians.

At its last meeting of 2022, the Warren (N.J.) Township Board of Education approved the 2023-24 calendar that, for the first time, includes a day off for Eid al-Fitr.

Warren and neighboring community members attended the meeting to express their gratitude to board members after passing this resolution.

In a statement, Watchung Hills Regional High School (WHRHS) student Noora Kuran said, “The win in Watchung and Warren is one small step for Watchung Hills and one giant leap for minorities nationwide. I hope that what we’ve accomplished inspires others to do the same. It is beautiful to see our hard work for the last few years pay off.”

WHRHS students and parents are still entangled in an 18-month struggle to have the two Eid recognized as a holiday.

Beachwood City (Ohio) Schools officials have added both Eid holidays to their academic calendar, as part of their “commitment to creating an inclusive and responsive

Khair Community Center, a new mosque and community center in Phoenixville, Penn., hosted its opening on March 26. The new center, located at Upper Providence Township, recently completed construction of its first phase.

Bilal Baqai (president, KCC) said, “We are excited to open our center that will be a resource not only for our growing Muslim community, but also our broader community. It’s truly inspiring to see the support of our community and allies. At a time when many note religion is dying, we are seeking to showcase the dynamic and youthful community that has made this project a reality.”

Akbar Hossain (Pennsylvania secretary of policy and planning), Robyn Hannigan (president, Ursinus College), Pennsylvania State Rep. Tarik Khan, Ahmet Selim Tekelioglu, PhD (executive director, CAIR-Philadelphia), among learning community.”

Starting in the 2023-24 school year, Eid al-Fitr will be recognized as a day off for students when they fall on a weekday.

“By providing these days on the calendars, families can celebrate without having to choose between sending their child to school or participating in a family event,” stated Assistant Superintendent Ken Veon.

Starting next year, Moorestown (N.J.) Township Public Schools will take the day off for Eid al-Fitr. Moorestown Board of Education voted unanimously on Feb. 21 to approve the 2023-24 school calendar.

Moorestown, the first town in Burlington County to recognize the holiday, joins a growing trend of New Jersey school systems that give Muslim students the day off. Eid al-Fitr, which will fall on April 10-11 this year, marks the end of Ramadan.

Moorestown schools will have April 10 off.

This marks the first Muslim holiday recognized on the Moorestown school calendar, a town in which Muslims represent a growing population. ih

Achievers

Asma Naeem (B.A., Johns Hopkins University; M.A., American University, J.D., Temple University, Ph.D. [art history], The University of Maryland) is the new director of The Baltimore Museum of Art. She is the first person other political, civic and interfaith leaders, attended the opening ceremony.

The second phase includes a full-sized gym, a co-working space, a cafe, additional classroom space, a youth center and more. It will also house IQRA Institute, the sisters’ organization. The 3.5-acre site, purchased for $1.35 million, has 140 parking spaces and an additional overflow of 100 that could be utilized. ih of color to lead this 109-year institution. The museum, which charges no entrance free, holds a collection of more than 97,000 historical and cultural objects.

Since joining the museum in 2018 as its chief curator, Pakistan-born Naeem, who grew up in Baltimore, has organized several shows including last year’s Salman Toor survey. She is currently curating “The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century,” which will open in April. Other positions on her resumé include working at Washington, D.C.’s National Portrait Gallery, as well as a practicing lawyer in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office as a criminal prosecutor and at the Office of Bar Counsel in Washington, D.C.

Rizwan Siddiqi, PE (president and CEO, EBA Engineering, Inc.), received the American Council of Engineering Companies/ Maryland (ACEC/ MD) 2023 Community Service Award.

Siddiqi (B.S., University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore; M.S., Virginia Tech) is currently serving a three-year term on the Maryland Transportation Commission. An inaugural member of DC Water’s Business Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council, he’s also an advisory board member for the University of the District of Columbia’s civil engineering department.

On March 18, Georgetown University officially opened the Yarrow Mamout Masjid, the first mosque with ablution stations, a spirituality and formation hall and halal kitchen on a U.S. university or college campus. It was also the first U.S. university to hire a full-time Muslim chaplain — Director for Muslim Life Imam Yahya Hendi — 24 years ago.

Georgetown formally dedicated the space to Mamout (b.1736), kidnapped from West Africa by slave traders when he was 16 and sent to Maryland. A skilled brickand basket-maker, he worked hard to save money and buy his freedom. After facing many obstacles and losing his money three times, he finally achieved his goal in 1796.

Four years later, he bought land in Georgetown and worked to purchase his son and partner’s freedom and helped others purchase theirs. Throughout his life, despite racism and religious persecution, Mamout remained committed to his faith. He wrote and spoke in Arabic. When he died, his obituary appeared in 38 East Coast newspapers.

In addition to being past president and current chair of the United Maryland Muslim Council, Siddiqi has served as president of the American Council of Engineering Companies/Metro Washington (2019); commissioner for the Maryland Higher Education Commission (2011-18); Maryland Commission to Modernize State Procurement (2016); Howard County (Md.) Environmental Sustainability Board (2013); the Howard County Energy Task Force (2015); board member Howard EcoWorks; president, Tehzibul Akhlaq Trust USA; and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Task Force (2008).

In 2012, Maryland Governor O’Malley presented him with the Community Service Award.

Sarah Shamsuddin was elected to the Westborough, Massachusetts School Committee for a threeyear-term. Shamsuddin was the top v ote-getter in the three-way race for two School Committee seats at the annual Town Election on Tuesday, March 14.

During the campaign, she stated: “I am running for School Committee because I would like to give back to the town I grew up in and the town that my children are now growing up in. When I was attending West-

John J. DeGioia (president, Georgetown University) stated, “We recognize, in naming our masjid for Yarrow Mamout, a man of great strength, faith and perseverance. A person who fought against the racism and discrimination of his time, whose life was animated by his Muslim faith, a man who was integral to the foundation of this neighborhood and this city.”

The event was attended by students, alumni, Georgetown community members, Muslim leaders in Washington, D.C. a representative of the Washington, D.C. Council, along with diplomats from Turkey, Qatar and Indonesia.

The mosque, which opened its doors in the fall of 2019 and completed its construction and design this year, provides a space for reflection, prayer, community and interfaith dialogue for Georgetown students. The Yarrow Mamout Masjid is one of seven sacred spaces on Georgetown’s main campus, and one of three spaces for Muslim students to pray across Georgetown schools, including Muslim prayer rooms located in Georgetown Law School and the School of Medicine. ih borough schools, I was one of a very small number of minority children. I believe there should be minority representation on the School Committee as we know this to be a growing population. My background in legal studies gives me a valuable skill set for the committee in negotiating contracts and analyzing applicability of state law as it relates to our schools and town charter. Equally is important. I would like to set an example for my children as well as other children so they know that the way to make an impact in our society is to engage.”

Blue Valley High School (Stillewell, Kan.) junior Noor Haideri won the first place in a global competition aimed at inspiring youth to think creatively about science. She garnered $400,000 in prizes.

By winning the eighth annual Breakthrough Junior Challenge, a science video competition sponsored by Khan Academy and National Geographic, she wins a $250,000 college scholarship. Her submission beat out those submitted by 2,400 students aged 13 to 18 from 100+ countries.

Haideri’s 90-second video focuses on melanopsin, a protein in the eye that gets stimulated when exposed to the blue light emitted by electronics and explains why looking at our phones in bed may make it harder to fall asleep.

Her first submission in 2020 made it to the top 10% out of 5,600 applicants. Her 2021 submission reached the top 5% out of about 3,400 applicants.

In addition to her own $250,000 scholarship, Haideri will select a teacher who inspired her to receive a $50,000 prize. The prize also includes the installation of a $100,000 new science lab at her high school.

She says she has her eyes set on a Harvard M.A./Ph.D. program after she graduates from high school in 2024.

The University of Massachusetts’ Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy honored Tahirah Amatul-Wadud (executive director, CAIR-Massachusetts chapter) as a Distinguished Public Service Fellow at the center.

Launched in 2016, the program seeks to build bridges among generations of women in public leadership and prepare the next generation of leaders, with a particular emphasis on advancing the leadership of women of color.

Amatul-Wadud (Elms College cum laude, 1998; Western New England University School of Law 2005) has 16+ years of experience in corporate, family and civil rights law. She served as a commissioner with the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (2014-20), was named a Top Woman of Law by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly and, in 2021, received the prestigious Massachusetts Bar Association Community Service Award.

At her law practice in Haledon, Kahf specializes in family law and immigration. Since 2003, she has sat on the board of CAIR's’ New Jersey chapter; she now serves as its chairwoman. In addition, she’s the legal adviser to Wafa House, a nonprofit domestic violence and social services agency based in Clifton, and chairwoman of the Islamic Center of Passaic County.

Two other Muslimas, Sharifa Salaam and Kalimah Ahmad, serve as Superior Court judges in Essex and Hudson counties, respectively.

Letter To The Editor

Iread with interest the articles on Islamophobia in March/ April issue. I was also intrigued by the top ten list of Islamophobia. While I agree with the items 2 through 10, I vehemently disagree with the first one: “FIFA World Cup.”

New

Eric Adams appointed Muhammad U. Faridi (John Jay College of Criminal Justice ‘04) on Feb. 21 as the independent civilian representative to the New York City Police Department’s Handschu Committee. The Handschu Guidelines, set forth under a 1985 consent decree, regulate the NYPD’s policies and practices regarding investigations of political activity. The committee plays a critical oversight role in ensuring compliance with the agreement’s terms, including when the NYPD opens or extends such investigations.

Faridi, the first Muslim American appointed to the role, has served as the chair of the New York City Bar Association’s executive committee and on the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on the Judiciary.

“The independent civilian representative on the Handschu Committee plays an important role in ensuring that Americans from all backgrounds are treated fairly and equally under our nation’s laws. The representative is charged with monitoring police investigations relating to sensitive matters (including those relating to political activity and terrorism) and reporting any abuse of civil liberties to the NYPD commissioner and the federal judge assigned to the Handschu case,” stated Faridi.

On Feb. 27, the New Jersey Senate appointed Nadia Kahf, a family law attorney from Wayne, N.J., as a state Superior Court judge. Gov. Phil Murphy nominated her a year ago. The first hijabi judge to on the bench, she will serve in Passaic County.

Sidra Mahmood has become the first full-time Muslim chaplain in Williams College’s 230-year history. The college is located in Williamstown, Mass.

Mahmood, who graduated from Mount Holyoke College intending to pursue a Ph.D. in biology, turned to chaplaincy after feeling isolated while working and living alone in Boston.

She succeeds Aseel Abulhab (‘15), who functioned as the interim Muslim program coordinator through the end of the last academic year.

Mahmood, who hopes to inspire other Muslims, will seek to help dining services provide halal foods. She worked with the dining services to ensure that adequate food will be available during Ramadan.

She also liaises with the Office of Campus Life to help Muslim students secure housing, including facilities for wudu’.

Dr. Farha Abbasi, assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Michigan State University and a core faculty member of the Muslim Studies Program, was recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on March 30 at “Women on the Frontlines: Celebrating Women Faith Leaders,” which was hosted by Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra to honor 15 women faith leaders for their work and leadership qualities in the service of humanity.

In 2009, she received the American Psychiatric Association’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration minority fellowship and used the grant

It is no secret that Qatar bribed FIFA officials to land the rights to hold the World Cup. And they went berserk in giving promises that they knew they would not be able to fulfill, like making alcohol available to the spectators. They also agreed that there would be no discrimination against people who have different sexual orientations, and that foreign workers would be treated with compassion and dignity.

Qatar went back on its commitments on the eve of the World Cup. It is ironic that while touting their Islamic credentials in public, they reportedly made alcohol available to private groups as well as to the foreign guests of the state.

Criticism of the State of Qatar for its hypocrisy does not rise to the level of Islamophobia.

S. Amjad Hussain Emeritus Professor of Humanities Emeritus Professor of Cardiovascular Surgery University of Toledo

money to create awareness about cultural competency, to redefine it as not just tolerance but acceptance.

Abbasi is the founding director of the Annual Muslim Mental Health Conference which was attended by experts from 30 countries. She also launched a Global Muslim Mental Health Conference in Malaysia and Jordan.

Lori Saroya, the first Muslima woman of color elected to Blaine City’s (Minn.) council, was sworn into office on Jan. 4. In the special election race for Blaine’s City Council Ward 1, she won 3,801 votes and defeated former longtime Blaine City council member Dick Swanson (3,727 votes). ih