Amir al-Islam : Chairman
Amir Al-Islam is the Executive Director of the Center for Professional Education at Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York where he also teaches African American history and world civilization courses. Al-Islam isalso the Secretary General of the World Conference on Religion and Peace, U.S.A. In this capacity, he sponsors interfaith dialogues, events and programs that promote religious, ethnic, and racial tolerance. Amir Al-Islam is also a Ph.D. Candidate at NYU specializing in Near Eastern Studies and African Diasporan History.
David Kelly: Secretary
David Kelly completed law school at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2004. In 1996, he received his B.A in English from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. Currently, he works for Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP law firm in Chicago.
Aside from practicing law, David is also known as Capital D, an MC, producer and writer. He authored the book “Fresh Air” which author Bakari Kitwana referred to as “A stirring combination of music and language and an expression of hip hop culture at its finest”. The Chicago Tribune named him one of “15 Hidden Talents” in the Chicago arts community and the Chicago Sun-Times deemed him one of 30 people to watch under the age of 30.
UMAR cARTER : Treasurer
bio coming soon
Yasmine Abou-El-Kheir: Member
Yasmine has many years of experience with nonprofit organizations working with immigrant communities. She has developed and/or managed programs in the areas of employment training, family empowerment, women's reproductive health, domestic violence and elderly care. She also worked for several years with the non-profit sector in Cairo, most notably on urban revitalization initiatives in Historic Cairo. Yasmine holds a BA in Political Science from Carleton University in Ottawa, and pursued graduate studies at the School of Community and Regional Planning at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. She is the mother of three children and is a resident of Chicago's southwest side.
Seemi Choudry: Youth Council Member
Born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, SeemiChoudry moved to the Western suburbs of Chicago in 1997 with her family. Growing up in a trilingual and international environment, Seemiis always looking for ways to utilize her speaking skills and diversify her surroundings. This all made sense when she eventually decided to major in Political Science and Spanish in college. Her involvement with IMAN began in 2006 with the planning of Takin' it to the Streets 2007. After that, she decided to apply as a youth intern and it was all history from there. After working with Blue Prints (youth-lead needs-assessment project) for the summer, she and other key youth members decided to begin the first ever IMAN Youth Council. Since then, Seemihas worked in the north side teaching English to immigrants at the Indo-American center, worked as a clerk with Chicago State Attorney General's office, and performs with the Chicago's very own female Muslim musical ensemble, SoundRight. Most recently, Seemiworks as an intern at Mayor Daley's Office of Special Events. Seemi, Ameenah Muhammad, and Tariq Simpkins all serve on IMAN's board of directors representing the youth.
Clyde K. El-Amin: Member
bio coming soon
Sherene S. Fakhran, MD, M.P.H: Medical Chair
Sherene S. Fakhran has her B.S. in Biology and M.S. in Public Health and M.D. from Northwestern University. She is currently a resident physician at Northwestern University Hospitals practicing internal medicine. She is currently the Medical Director on IMAN’s Board, and has affiliations with the Islamic Medical Association, Curriculum Committee of MPH program, and the American Medical Women Association.
Tariq Iftikhar, md: Member
Dr. Tariq Iftikhar graduated from King Edward Medical College in Lahore, Pakistan in 1969. In 1972 he came to the US and completed his training in orthopedic surgery at Eastern Virginia Medical School. He completed his specialization in hand surgery at Cook County hospital in 1978 and is a Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon.
In the mid 1990’s Dr. Iftikhar traveled to the Balkans and helped war injured victims in Serbia and received a recognition award from Mayor Daley’s Office for Community Service.
In November 2005, he went to northern Pakistan for a month to perform surgeries on victims of the recent earthquake disaster. In April 2006, he went again to Pakistan with Doctors Without Borders.
Maha Jarad: Member
Maha Jarad is a graduate of University of Illinois at Chicago, with her B.A. in Political Science and Masters in Secondary Education. She has served as Executive Director of the Union of Palestinian Women and Women in Organizing Project: Women United for a Better Chicago, and has sat on the boards of several human rights and social institutions, including Crossroads and the Southwest Youth Collaborative. Maha currently sits on the board of Hamdard Center, Arab American Action Network and teaches at Taft High School.
Maaria Mozaffar: Member
Maaria Mozaffar completed her law degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign. Upon completion of her degree, Mozaffar moved to Chicago where she formed and led the Civil Liberties Coalition of Illinois. Maaria was also responsible for drafting a legislation piece entitled the SMART Act, short for Substance Abuse Management Addressing Recidivism through Treatment. The legislation, which will create alternatives to prison for low-level drug offenders, was passed in 2007. Mozaffar also serves as the Legal Advisor for CAIR Chicago. Aside from her legal expertise and social activism, she is also a professional documentarian and has completed a documentary chronicling the struggle of Somali refugee seeking asylums in the US. Mozaffar is currently working on a documentary capturing the devastation and hardship confronting survivors of last's year devastating tsunami on the Indian sub-continent.
Ameenah Muhammad: Youth Council Member
Ameenah Muhammad is a Sophomore at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she is earning a double major in Sociology and African American studies and a minor in Latino Studies. She made the decision to study sociology based on her immense interest in the status of health within urban communities. Ameenah has been involved with many social justice projects around the southwest side of Chicago and considers herself to be an activist. More recently, Ameenah has become involved with issues around food justice and food access within African American and Latino communities. She is currently working on a project with People for the American Way, to make fresh,nutritious and organically grown food available to members of the Inglewood community.
Laila Muhammad: Member
Laila Muhammad is a long time community activist, poet and daughter of the world-renowned Muslim American leader, Imam W. Deen Mohammed. She is the Executive Director, Al Shamsiyyah Domestic Violence Center in Chicago. Recently, she authored a book of poetry, entitled “Sharing”. Laila is currently completing her undergraduate degree at Olivet Nazarene University and intends to pursue a graduate degree in Public Administration and Social Service.
Feroz Patel: Member
Feroz began volunteering with IMAN in 2004, and joined IMAN’s board of directors in 2007. He has a B.S. in Computer Science from Northern Illinois University and an M.A. in E-Commerce Technologies from DePaul University. Feroz has done work with CIOGC, worked as a programmer, and he is currently a Technical Project Manager at HSBC in Chicago, IL.
Rafi Peterson: Member
Rafi is a long time volunteer and major supporter of IMAN. He joined IMAN’s board of Directors in 2007. Almost ten years ago, Rafi began working with IMAN to implement a number of its most successful programs.
IMAN’s involvement in Criminal Justice Reform began in 1998 when Peterson began regular visits with inmates in the Cook County jail and saw the need for specific services once the inmates were released. In 2001 he began working for Cease Fire as an Outreach worker and was eventually promoted to supervisor of the Southwest and Westlawn areas. While at CeaseFire, Peterson initiated the joint IMAN/CeaseFire GED, ESL and life skills classes. Rafi also was key in implementing the IMAN/CeaseFire summer youth program.
Today Peterson serves as IMAN’s Project Restore Coordinator and has been key in developing and launching IMAN’s Transitional Housing Program as well as working with the Developing Justice Coalition in passing the SMART ACT.
Nia Odeoti-Hassan: Member
Sister Nia Odeoti-Hassan, BA, MA, ABD, is employed by Illinois State Senate President, John J. Cullerton as a Policy Analyst for the Senate Public Health Committee and the Senate Environment Committee. She is serving her 29th year with the Senate and recently became the staffer with the most seniority on the Policy and Budget Staff. Prior to her tenure with the Illinois State Senate, Sister Nia Odeoti-Hassan served on the faculty at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.
Sister Nia Odeoti-Hassan serves Allah and the Islamic community through service to the Islamic Society of Greater Springfield, the Inner City Muslim Action Network , the Muslim Democrats, the Center for Islam and Democracy, MANA, and the Advisory Committee of the Shura of Islamic Family Counselors of America ( Board Member).
In March, 2009, Sister Nia was one of the first recipients of the Muslim Women’s Alliance ‘s Inspiring Muslim Woman Award. In December, 2009, she was one of the recipients of COIGC’s Outstanding Community Service Award for her role in CIOGC’s first Muslim Action Day in Springfield.
Tariq Simpkins: Youth Council Member
bio coming soon
