Welcoming Our New Speakers!
The ISB congratulates Abdullah Kapic, Mirza Dobric, Noor Abbady, and Salma Stoman, who successfully completed the ISB's new speakers training seminar on December 13, 2008. We look forward to hearing from them as they present to diverse audiences across metro Atlanta.
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Dear Friends,
We are very excited to welcome a new year for the volunteers, friends, and supporters of the Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta! We are honored to have witnessed the historic inauguration of President Barack Hussein Obama, America's first president of African-American and multiracial heritage. Quite fittingly, the day preceding the inauguration was King Day, a national holiday commemorating the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of America's most powerful voices for social change. In honor of Dr. King, President Obama declared this year's King Day a day of national service. According to the official website of the observance, a record number of Americans, from all walks of life, volunteered their time and talents to better their neighborhoods, communities, and cities. In this issue of our newsletter, you will read how members of the ISB were joined by their families and friends in acts of service on King Day, as well as throughout the month of January. These acts of service are at the heart of a thriving, compassionate democracy. And it is friends like you who make this kind of work possible for the ISB! Please let us know how you'd like to become involved in the work we do. There are many ways to contribute, including donating on our secure website, spreading the good news about the ISB, attending our training seminars, and volunteering your time at our service projects. Looking forward to hearing from you! Soumaya Khalifa Executive Director, ISB Atlanta dirisbatl@yahoo.com
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Meet Our Board Members
Zaheer Faruqi
As part of a continuing series featuring ISB speakers and partners, we would like to bring you this conversation between Zaheer Faruqi, ISB board member, and Zaynab Ansari, who produces the ISB's monthly newsletter. The ISB board has seven diverse members who set the direction for the organization.
Zaynab: Thank you for taking time out of your schedule to speak with me. Could you introduce yourself to our readers?
Zaheer: My pleasure. I'm Zaheer Faruqi, and I'm married to Huma Faruqi, a longtime ISB speaker. We have four children: Hamzah, Talha, Reem (a new ISB speaker), and Osman.
I'm originally from Karachi, Pakistan, and I've been in the United States for many years.
When I moved to the United States, I settled in California for nine years where I pursued a Bachelor's degree in aircraft maintenance engineering and a Master's in management from Northrup University.
I'm currently the owner of an aviation company in Peachtree City.
I was recently appointed by the Peachtree City Mayor and city council to sit on the Peachtree City Airport Authority's Board.
In my free time, I enjoy traveling internationally and I've been lucky to see much of the Gulf region, having lived in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Abu Dhabi.
Zaynab: Tell us how and why you became involved with the ISB.
Zaheer: I think my story echoes that of other ISB members. After September 11, 2001, I felt there was a great need to disseminate the correct picture of Islam. I wanted to make sure that whether they are neighbors, friends, associates, or even strangers, that the people I come across understand what Islam really stands for. I like the ISB's approach: We provide data that is interesting and correct. I also have to credit my wife, Huma, with getting me involved. I'd frequently watch her conduct presentations to diverse audiences, which piqued my interest in the ISB.
Zaynab: As an ISB board member, what do your responsibilities entail?
Zaheer: My primary reason for being on the board is to give direction to ISB Atlanta as a group. We examine broad questions, such as where we need to be and how we need to get there. The ISB's work is valuable and critical, and I want to be a part of that.
Zaynab: What message do you have for our readers?
Zaheer: Right now the media seems to get blasted with different things. Every time a Muslim is involved in a news story, it gets highlighted. When one hears only one side of the story on Islam, they need to seek answers. These days one can find a lot of things on the internet, but the best thing to do is talk to a Muslim. One shouldn't just accept what they see on TV or hear on the radio.
Zaynab: What lessons can one draw from this historic election and inauguration?
Zaheer: One thing is very clear from this election: If one really has the talent and the desire to do something, they can do it. President Barack Obama has done the right thing by sticking to his principles and going forward, even when he faced adversity. Our nation was founded on principles that allow for someone who works hard and has a vision to achieve amazing things.
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Our Calendar
February 3: Carver High School
February 8: Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta
February 16: Wesleyan School
February 22: Hamilton Mill United Methodist Church
February 23 & 25: MSA of Georgia Perimeter College
February 26: Park Springs Men's Forum
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The Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta (ISB) is a 501(c)3 non-profit, apolitical educational organization that provides
certified Muslim speakers to promote awareness about Islam and Muslims.
The ISB is a local affiliate of the Islamic Networks Group (ING).
Donations to the ISB are tax deductible and may be mailed to ISB Atlanta, P.O. Box 2608, Peachtree City, GA 30269.
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Ambassador Akbar Ahmed's Journey into America
On Tuesday, January 20, the ISB was honored to host Ambassador Akbar Ahmed at a dinner bringing together key leaders in the Atlanta Muslim community.
Represented at the event were the ISB,
the Istanbul Cultural Center, the Bosnian Community, Al-Farooq Masjid, Masjid
Al-Momineen, Masjid Al-Hedaya, CAIR North Georgia, the Ismaili Community, and Azizah Magazine.
The former high commissioner of Pakistan to Great Britain, Ambassador Ahmed is the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University's School of International Service. Author of a number of books and director of the famed BBC documentary series "Living Islam," Dr. Ahmed is taking a year-long journey across America to explore the perceptions of Muslim and non-Muslim Americans alike.
Readers can learn more about the Journey into America project through our Useful Links section.
Many thanks to Amin Tomeh for contributing to this report.
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Celebrating MLK Day 2009 at Chastain Memorial Park
The temperature may have been cold, but spirits were warm as members of the ISB and their families gathered at Atlanta's Chastain Memorial Park for the Inauguration Day of Service on Monday, January 19. Bassem Fakhoury, Hounada Sinno, and their children, Hassan & Sima; Soumaya, Mohamed, and Yosra Khalifa; Hina Hossain, Nehal Shamma and her family, and Mohamed Mohamed helped clear overgrown brush from a section of the park which
will be turned into a rain creek, cleaned up debris and fed it into
a shredder, and gathered up leaves. Quoting Bassem: "The day started very cold at 9 AM, but we warmed up
to the task and I personally felt a great sense of accomplishment when
we stopped around noon." ISB members were not alone. Under the auspices of Hands On Atlanta, hundreds of men, women, and children participated in service projects ranging from park beautification to feeding the homeless during the early hours of January 19. Many thanks to Bassem Fakhoury for contributing to this report. |
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Kids4Peace International Interfaith Prayer Service
On the afternoon of Monday, January 19, Hounada Sinno and her children, Hassan & Sima; Soumaya Khalifa; and Hasam & Aksa Anwar represented the ISB at the International
Interfaith Prayer Service sponsored by Kids4Peace. The purpose of the
event was to have people around the world gather on the same day and at
the same time to pray for the children of the Holy Land who have been
caught up in the midst of violence and war. Simultaneous services were held in Vermont, North Carolina, and Jerusalem. The organizers chose King Day to emphasize the civil rights icon's views on human
struggles and the turmoils of our planet. A most pertinent quote of his
was printed on the cover of the program: "The past is
prophetic in that it asserts loudly that wars are poor chisels for
carving out peaceful tomorrows." The audience of about 50
people consisted of adults and children. The service included a
series of excerpts from the Jewish, Christian and Islamic sacred texts
as well as prayers featuring the interweaving of Arabic and Hebrew. Brother and sister Hasam and Aksa Anwar read from the 16th chapter of the Qur'an, while siblings Hassan
and Sima Fakhoury shared a Muslim prayer of peace. Everyone was inspired by the work of Kids4Peace and the children said they would gladly participate again in similar events. Many thanks to Hounada Sinno for contributing to this report.
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Hands On Atlanta Human Rights Workshop Honors MLK
As part of a series of events honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy of human rights activism, Hands On Atlanta Executive Producer Charmaine Minniefield, invited Soumaya Khalifa to co-lead a workshop Saturday, January 17. The human rights event was led by representatives of the Center for Civil and Human Rights (CCHR). Attended by about 40 people, the workshop took place at Our Lady of
Lourdes Catholic Church across from the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site. The workshop examined what is meant by human rights and what is needed
to have these rights, while participants went through an exercise called the "Power Walk" and other activities centered around raising
awareness. The ISB is grateful to Hands On Atlanta for reaching out to the Muslim community.
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Meaningful Conversations Workshop at Islamic Community of Bosniaks
On Friday, January 16, Ehab Jaleel, Soumaya Khalifa, Amin Tomeh, and Saif Altalib conducted the ISB's first Meaningful Conversations Workshop. The ISB's host was speaker-in-training Abdullah Kapic, a leading member of Atlanta's Bosnian community.
The purpose of the Meaningful Conversations Workshop is to train Muslims how to speak to people of other faiths
about Islam. The workshop was attended by about 40 men and women, ranging from college age to senior
citizens.
The ISB was honored to start the Meaningful Conversations tour at the Islamic Community
of Bosniaks.
Many thanks to Ehab Jaleel and Abdullah Kapic for contributing to this report.
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Special Workshop for AIB
Soumaya Khalifa conducted a training seminar for members of Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters (AIB) on Wednesday, January 14. Participants included AIB's own President and CEO, Collie Burnett, Jr.
The training included excerpts from the ISB's feature presentation, Getting to Know American Muslims and Islam, tips on interacting with Muslims, the proper way to enter and engage in a
masjid (Muslim place of worship), and the ways Muslims approach major life events and rites of passage.
The session was received extremely positively and the audience
wanted more time. All AIB staffmembers are undergoing training on the three major Abrahamic religions
to better interact with people from these faith traditions.
Ms. Khalifa is an AIB board member and is grateful to the organization for extending this opportunity to the ISB.
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ISB Visits Holy Cross Catholic Church
On Sunday, January 18, Dr. S. Rashid Naim and Jelena Naim presented for the third year in a row at the Holy Cross Catholic
Church's annual January event in which each Sunday a speaker from a
different religion presents on a pre-selected topic. This year, the
topic was "Morality". The Naims designed a custom
presentation based on ten questions put forward by the host. Themes included the sources
of morality in Islam, the consequences of failing to act morally, and how young people are trained in morality.
The audience of approximately 30 men and women was very engaged and asked penetrating questions on a range of political, social, and ethical topics. Audience members also requested to hear verses from the Holy Qur'an, the sacred text of Islam.
The ISB is grateful to the parishioners of Holy Cross Catholic Church for their hospitality.
Many thanks to Jelena Naim for contributing to this report.
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ICCA Hosts Christ Our Shepherd Lutheran Church
For the fifth year in a row, Christ Our Shepherd Lutheran Church brought its students to the Islamic Community Center of Atlanta (ICCA) for an evening of pizza and learning on Wednesday, January 21.
This event is part of the ISB's ongoing relationship with the
congregation.
On hand to welcome the students were Huma, Reem, and Hamzah Faruqi and speaker-in-training, Salma Stoman.
The students viewed the ISB's feature presentation, Getting to Know American Muslims and Islam. The audience was very engaged and came away with an enhanced understanding of the basics of Islam.
The ISB is proud to partner with Christ Our Shepherd Lutheran Church. In our last issue, we covered an interfaith Thanksgiving service in Fayetteville that is a joint project of the ISB and Christ Our Shepherd.
Many thanks to Salma Stoman and Soumaya Khalifa for contributing to this report.
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