eSpeaker Spotlight
Ehab Jaleel
The ISB has more than 20 trained, certified volunteer speakers who represent
various professional, ethnic and linguistic backgrounds. Our Speaker
Spotlight section is meant to provide some insight into the backgrounds
and thoughts of our speakers.
This month, we are speaking with Ehab Jaleel. Ehab was born in Jordan to parents of Palestinian and Syrian heritage and raised in upstate New York. His education brought him to Atlanta where he studied applied psychology and mechanical engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Ehab currently works for the Coca-Cola Company. He is married and the proud father of three girls.
Speaker Spotlight: Ehab, we are pleased to feature you for this month's newsletter. What made you join the organization?
Ehab: Initially, I joined the ISB without realizing how much our organization was poised to grow. I wanted to improve my public-speaking skills. However, after the tragic attacks of September 11, 2001, I saw a huge gap in the community for this type of work. I liked the professionally-organized, template driven model the ISB offered.
Speaker Spotlight: You have a lot of experience with youth work. How has your ability to connect with younger audiences helped you in your work with the ISB?
Ehab: [Laughing], I guess I'm just a big kid--my wife is always asking when I'm going to grow up. Seriously, though, I do enjoy working with younger audiences. I've always viewed myself as a bridge between the younger and older generation. Having grown up here in the U.S., I was able to understand the culture in a way that was not possible for the older generation. I enjoy presenting to younger audiences and seeing their horizons expand.
Speaker Spotlight: You also drew on your people skills when you were master of ceremonies at the ISB's Annual Building Bridges Awards Dinner. Tell us about that.
Ehab: I was able to draw on the skills I've learned through the ISB, namely, getting to know your audience. The ISB has really helped me understand how to speak to different audiences, and the dinner guests are a good mix of everyone from young people to senior citizens. I see the master of ceremonies' role as someone who needs to be very gracious--the true stars are the people receiving the awards.
Speaker Spotlight: I am always fascinated by speaker experiences. Tell me about your most memorable presenation.
Ehab: I presented to a young audience with Jelena Naim [last month's featured speaker]. This was my very first time speaking, although Jelena had had plenty of experience. The students wanted to know how Muslims meet and find spouses, so I told them how I met my wife at an airport after the ISNA [Islamic Society of North America] convention. The audience, especially the young women, thought that was so sweet and that's when I realized that it's the personal connection that really matters when you do presentations. People are really interested in you as a person. It was really moving that the students responded so well, and that's when I thought to myself, "Hey, I can do this!"
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Dear ISB Friends and Supporters,
As we commemorate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we ask each and everyone to stop and reflect on how we can contribute to Dr. King's vision of a nation that celebrates all of its citizens. As you know, the ISB is committed to upholding the ideals of Dr. King by building bridges between diverse communities and facilitating understanding and dialogue.
This newsletter provides a snapshot of
the work our volunteer speakers have done during the past
month, work that underscores the critical need to promote understanding in our ever changing world.
We
thank you for your continued support, encouragement and contributions.
As always, please let us know if you have any suggestions on how we can
further our efforts.
Thank you,
Soumaya Khalifa
Executive Director
Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta |
| Tomodachi Club, Japan-America Society of Georgia
On Wednesday, January 9, the ISB had the pleasure of meeting a delegation from the Tomodachi Club, a local Japanese-American group. The Hon. Shoji Ogawa, the Consul-General of Japan in Atlanta, was in attendance. The meeting convened at Al-Farooq Masjid, in midtown, where Dr. Khalid Siddique gave a tour of the new mosque building. Afterward, Executive Director of the ISB, Soumaya Khalifa, introduced the Tomodachi Club to the ISB's work and provided an overview of Islam and Muslims over luncheon.
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ISB Members Visit St. Andrews in the Pines
Thursday, January 10, brought ISB Executive Director, Soumaya Khalifa, and ISB speaker, Mrs. Huma Faruqi, to St. Andrews in the Pines, an Episcopal church in Peachtree City. The presentation brought together members of a women's group and piqued the group's interest in interfaith work. The ISB would like to thank church organizers for arranging this event.
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ISB Members Visit Christ Our Shepherd Lutheran Church
On Sunday, January 20, members of ISB Atlanta presented to an adult education class at Christ Our Shepherd Lutheran Church. Numbering approximately 100, the audience members were eagerly anticipating the presentation and engaged the speakers in a lively question and answer session. The church, located in Peachtree City, graciously hosted the ISB in the sanctuary, contributing to the overall positive atmosphere of the dialogue. The presentation provided an overview of Islam and Muslims. The ISB extends its gratitude to church organizers for making the event possible.
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Presentation at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection
On Sunday, January 13, ISB representatives visited Lutheran Church of the Resurrection in Marietta. The presentation brought together the entire congregation, introducing audience members to the basic beliefs, practices, and demographics of the Muslim world. After the presentation, ISB representatives conducted a special session for audience members who wanted to explore further questions. The exchange was very positive and opened up new possibilities for interfaith work in the metro area. The ISB thanks Lutheran Church of the Resurrection for providing such excellent hospitality.
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Georgia Progressive Summit Comes to Atlanta
ISB
Executive Director, Soumaya Khalifa, teamed up with Yusof Burke,
President of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, North Georgia
Chapter (CAIR-NGA) to conduct a workshop on Islamophobia at the Georgia
Progressive Summit. The 2008 summit convened from January 11-13 and
featured a number of thought-provoking workshops exploring issues of
community activism and empowerment. The Islamophobia workshop examined
the historical roots of Islamophobia, the implications of this growing
phenomenon in the United States, and generated audience feedback on how
to combat the trend. This was the ISB's second visit to the summit.
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About ISBA
ISBA
is a non-profit, apolitical educational organization that provides
certified Muslim speakers to promote awareness about Islam and Muslims.
ISBA is a local affiliate of the Islamic Networks Group. |
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