Zakee Shahid Community Safe Zone and Development Extern

Zakee serves as the Community Safe Zone Extern in which he assists in the coordination and supervision of over 25 youth through a youth employment project entitled "Rep Your Hood". Zakee is an active member in Chicago's Islamic community. He is a trained teacher, professional tutor, and an avid writer. He received his Bachelor's Degree from the University of Illinois in Chicago and is currently completing his Masters in Inner-city Studies at Northeastern University . When he is not working, Zakee enjoys spending his time with his lovely wife and three wonderful children.

Manal Farhan Education Reform Extern

Manal is an Education Reform Intern at IMAN. Manal has served as an educator for seven years and recently completed her Master's in Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University. She completed her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology at Kent State University. She served as an educator at Monarch School for Autism in Cleveland, Ohio as well as an educator for grades 5th-6th at Mays Academy here in the Englewood community. Manal is also an alumnus of the Inner-City Teaching Corps (ICTC / UNITE).      

Ari Plost JCUA Fellow

Ari is a third year Rabbinical Student at Hebrew Union College and a fellow at the Jewish Council of Urban Affairs. Ari worked in management consulting for eight years prior to entering rabbinical school. In addition to consulting on strategy to multinational companies, he also served as a senior management consultant to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and was a primary architect behind the Alliance for Middle East Peace, a consortium of over 55 coexistence organizations. Ari graduated with Honors from Swarthmore College in 1998, where he served as president of the student body. In his spare time, Ari enjoys swimming, cooking and learning Torah.

Rajaa Qadri Organizing Intern  

Rajaa is a summer Organizing Intern at IMAN. She is a junior at Bucknell University Pennsylvania, where she is pursuing a major in Sociology and a minor in Legal Studies. At Bucknell, she is a senior staff writer for the University newspaper, President of the South Asian Students Association and also serves on the Student Senate. She has lived in Washington DC for most part of her life. Rajaa has an interest in politics, communications, religion, and civil liberties. After she graduates, she plans on going to law school. In her spare time, Rajaa likes to read, write, and travel.       

Ambar Flores Immigration Reform Intern

Ámbar grew up in the neighboring Latino working class community of the Southwest side of Chicago. Her experiences living there has made her passionate about seeking social empowerment and justice for her community. She interns at IMAN this summer to make this social change happen. As a first-generation Mexican-American, Ámbar deeply treasures her heritage. She uses her Spanish fluency to draw the Latino community to IMAN and to work on immigration reform. She is a sophomore at Boston College majoring in English, with a minor in  Islamic Studies, and will continue to fight in favor of the working-class Chicagoans after graduating.      

Anas Mahafzah Communications Organizing Intern

Anas joins IMAN as a Communications Intern. A graduate of DePaul University, Anas is fluent in Arabic and has a developed interest in matters pertaining to Islam and the Muslim community here in the United States. He intends to go on to law school and pursue human/civil rights work within the purview of the Law.    
 

 

Tariq Simkins IMAN Youth Intern

Tariq is a youth intern at the Inner-city Muslim Action Network (IMAN).  He attends Kenwood Academy high school as a junior; he plans to get a major in physics and in political science or international politics.  Born and raised in Chicago, but not ignorant to what the rest of the country holds he knows that there are many people in need of social justice. He is currently studying and participating in communications, organization, and arts and culture at IMAN.  Since IMAN is involved and active in social justice Tariq knows this is a good place to start.  He is a tri seasonal athlete he participates in wrestling, track and field and cross country.  In his free time he can be found on facebook.com, reading, or sleeping. 

Widad Hussein Youth Council Intern 

Widad is a youth council intern at IMAN where she helps aid the Equal Voice Campaign as well as clerical and office work. She will be a freshman at Moraine Valley Community College studying to be an office assistant. Widad is currently on the IMAN Youth Council where her and her peers provide events for youth around them. Widad presently works at Arab American Action Network as part of the creative writing program that she has been a part of since October 2006. She has hopes to publish a book of poetry in the future.

Mahmoud Alshaikh Youth Council Intern

Mahmoud is an intern at the Inner-city Muslim Action Network (IMAN). He is working on community organization for the Equal Voice campaign, and is focusing mainly on the youth department. He is a student at Bogan High School and soon to be a student at the University of Illinois (Urbana Champaign). He is still deciding his major either in Business or some type of medical engineering. He was born and raised in Chicago, but is originally from Palestine.      

Ameenah Muhammad Arts and Culture Intern

Ameenah is an Arts & Culture intern at IMAN for the summer of 2008. She is a recent graduate of Eisenhower High School and will be attending the University of Illinois at Chicago starting in the fall semester. Her major is Biological Science and she is currently making plans to enroll in the Latin American School of Medicine in Havana, Cuba. Ameenah has been involved with many social justice projects around the southwest side of Chicago and considers herself to be an activist. In addition to investing her time in social justice work , Ameenah also enjoy writing and performing spoken word poetry. As an Arts & Culture intern she hopes to gain a better understanding of the needs of the residents of Chicago that will make her a better doctor, activist, and artist in the future.        

Megan Anderson Arts and Culture Intern

Megan is an Arts and Culture intern at IMAN.  She is a senior high school student at Emil G. Hirsch Metropolitan School of Communication in Chicago. After graduation she plans to attend Columbia College to study Fashion Design. In her spare time she enjoys styling hair, painting, drawing, listening to music, and hanging out with her friends on the weekends

Paris Banks Health Clinic Intern

Paris is a graduate of Simeon Career Academy where she maintained a 3.6 GPA.  In the fall she will be attending Fox College in Oak Lawn. She plans to transfer to Bradley University to study pre-med.  She would like to pursue a career in medicine to become a cardiologist.  Paris is an active member of the Apostolic Church of God. In her spare time she enjoys socializing with friends and shopping. 

Amany Hussein ICDI Intern

Amany is IMAN's Career Development Initiative (ICDI) intern. She has been volunteering at IMAN for over a year now. Amany is also a part of IMAN's Youth Council. She currently is a senior at Bogan High School and plans on attending Moraine Valley Community College to be a Medical Assistant. She loves helping people and seeing a smile on their faces.