This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/8102
April 25, 2024
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker Announces Appointments and Reappointments as the Parker Administration Continues to Grow
March 7, 2024
Imam Quaiser Abdullah, Director of Muslim Engagement
Imam Quaiser D. Abdullah, Ph.D., will serve as the Director of Muslim Engagement within the Mayor's Office. Director Abdullah currently serves as the board chair for Interfaith Philadelphia, co-president for the Association for Conflict Resolution, and co-chair for the Mayor's Commission on Faith-Based and Interfaith Affairs in Philadelphia, PA. Imam Quaiser is one of the Imams at Masjid Quba and has served as Chairman and COO of Quba Institute, which is a 70-year-old organization that has established social institutions that support the Muslim community in the Philadelphia area. As Director of Muslim Engagement, Imam Quaiser will engage not only the Muslim community but the entire faith community with Director Speakes and the office of Faith-Based and Interfaith affairs.
https://www.phila.gov/2024-03-07-mayor-cherelle-l-parker-announces-appointments-and-reappointments-as-the-parker-administration-continues-to-grow/
############################
Emgage PAC Pennsylvania announces Muslims for Parker press conference in support of Cherelle Parker
May 10, 2023
PHILADELPHIA – Emgage PAC Pennsylvania will join other Muslim leaders and elected officials at the Muslims for Parker Press Conference in support of Cherelle Parker. Emgage PAC Pennsylvania endorsed Cherelle Parker for mayor of Philadelphia in April 2023.
Cherelle Parker, State Senator Sharif Street, Councilmember Curtis Jones, Jr., Business Manager of Philadelphia Building Trades and Laborers District Council Ryan Boyer,Emgage PAC Pennsylvania Executive Director Salima Suswell, and Emgage PAC Pennsylvania Chair Abdul Mughees Chaudhri will attend and provide remarks. Members of the community and members of the press are welcome to attend.
Date: Thursday, May 11
Time: 2:15-3:00pm
Location: 665 North Broad Street, Philadelphia PA, 19123
"Throughout our rigorous endorsement process, as well as our mayoral candidate forum, Parker clearly stood out as the best leader for our city, given her stance on public safety, education, healthcare, social and criminal justice, and engagement with the Muslim community," said Salima Suswell, Executive Director of Emgage PAC Pennsylvania. "We are confident that she will be a strong ally to the Philadelphia Muslim community, and we will be encouraging our community to get out and vote to ensure that Muslim voices are represented in this critical election. This press conference supporting her candidacy seeks to do precisely this."
Parker has a proven track record and has done outstanding work as a former state representative and two-term Philadelphia city council member. Parker's engagement with the Philadelphia Muslim community has been exemplary over the years, particularly with the support she has offered to mosques in the 9th Council District, which she formerly represented.
The primary election will take place on May 16, 2023.
https://emgagepac.org/emgage-pac-pennsylvania-announces-muslims-for-parker-press-conference-in-support-of-cherelle-parker/
#########################
Emgage PAC Pennsylvania endorses Cherelle Parker for mayor of Philadelphia. During our rigorous endorsement process, Parker clearly stood out as the best leader for the city, given her stances on public safety, education, healthcare, and social and criminal justice. Parker has a proven track record and has done outstanding work as a former state representative and two-term Philadelphia city council member. Her engagement with the Philadelphia Muslim community has been exemplary over the years, particularly with the outstanding support she has offered to mosques in the 9th Council District, which she formerly represented.
According to her bio, Parker is running to make our city safer, cleaner and greener – a city where access to economic opportunity and building generational wealth is not concentrated at the top, but reachable for anyone living in any neighborhood.
https://emgagepac.org/endorsements/cherelle-parker/#:~:text=Emgage%20PAC%20Pennsylvania%20endorses%20Cherelle,and%20social%20and%20criminal%20justice.
#################################
CAIR Philly on X
March 8, 2024
We welcome Cherelle Parker's appointment of Dr. Quaiser Abdullah as Director of Muslim Engagement at the Mayor's Office. We look forward to working w/Dr. Abdullah to voice our community's concerns & facilitate a city that reflects the richness of our communities.
·https://twitter.com/CAIRPhilly/status/1766150811350938103
##############################
MIM:Imam Quaiser D. Abdullah's bio as Chair of the Board Of Directors of Interfaith Philadelphia.
Honoree
Imam Dr. Quaiser D. Abdullah
Imam Dr. Quaiser D. Abdullah, P.h.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication and Social Influence in Klein College of Media and Communication at Temple University, and Director of Muslim Engagement for the city of Philadelphia. He also serves as the Program Director for the Master of Science in Communication Management at Klein. His teaching portfolio covers undergraduate and graduate courses in conflict resolution, mediation, conflict within educational systems, interpersonal communication, leadership, and organizational development.
Quaiser earned his undergraduate degree in Political Science and Religion, with a minor in Asian Studies. He then went on to earn a graduate degree in Adult Learning and Organizational Development and a doctorate in Educational Psychology. Quaiser currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors for Interfaith Philadelphia (2021-2024), co-president for the Association for Conflict Resolution (2023-2024), Co-Chair for the Mayor's Commission on Faith-Based and Interfaith Affairs (2022-2024) and Faculty/Staff Advisor for the MSA at Temple University. In 2013, SAGE published his chapter entitled "Muslim Leader Formation and Education" under the Religious Leadership project in The SAGE Reference Series on Leadership. His chapter, "Daanaa Abdullah: Exemplar of Community Leadership" was published in Democratic Ethical Educational Leadership: Reclaiming School Reform, in 2015 by Routledge.
As Chair of Interfaith Philadelphia's Board of Directors, Quaiser oversaw the organization's response to George Floyd's murder and the current Middle East crisis, rising to lead through unprecedented challenges. Quaiser is frequently called upon to mediate and provide perspective on interfaith issues across the region.
Quaiser is one of the Imams at Masjid Quba. He has also served as Chairman and COO of Quba Institute, which is a 60-year-old organization that has established social institutions that support the Muslim community in the Philadelphia area.
He also served as the Conference Chair for the Muslim Alliance of North America's (MANA's) annual conference in Philadelphia in 2007 and 2008.
He also served as a Chaplain with the 18th District in Philadelphia's Police Department.
Quaiser is the President of Statera Coaching and Leadership Consulting, LLC. Statera Coaching is a private company that focuses on conflict resolution, leadership development, workforce training and development, professional & conflict coaching and organizational development. He is a certified Conflict Resolution in Education trainer, certified coach, Positive Discipline Educator and a trained mediator in the area of Transformative Mediation, with a focus on family, divorce and custody mediation.
https://www.interfaithphiladelphia.org/imam-quaiser-abdullah
##########################
MIM:Quaiser Abdullah is the current head of the Muslim Student Association at Temple University.Temple MSA is the umbrella group which helps organize all the Pro Hamas/Jihad rallies on campus.
MSA Faculty Advisor
May 2006 - Present 18 years
Function as a point of contact for Muslims student on Temple campus. Assist with navigating institutional policy and providing assistance in meeting the challenges that face Muslim students at the University. Advise students on classes, interfaith activities and diversity issues.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/quaiser
####################################
Muslim Students Association—Temple University (MSA TU)
Campus organization of Muslim students
* Has invited radical guest speakers to its events
* Lobbied successfully for the installation of foot baths for Muslim students who wish to practice the ritual washing of their feet before praying on campus
* Sought to prevent the Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders from speaking at Temple University
The Temple University Muslim Students Association (TU-MSA) seeks "to contribute in [sic] providing a better environment for Muslims to grow in their deen" (an Arabic word meaning "faith" or "path"); to provide "a place [for Muslim students] to meet new friends, learn more about Islam, and ultimately become a better individual"; and to provide "a vehicle on campus where we educate the campus community about true Islam."
TU-MSA has participated several times — along with more than 250 fellow Muslim organizations (mostly chapters of the MSA) — in the annual "Ramadan Fast-a-Thon," where students eat nothing from sunrise to sundown on one designated day each year. The purpose of this event — which was initiatedshortly after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks — is twofold: to "raise money for the hungry and poor," and to help Americans "increase" their "understanding" of Muslims' good intentions. Such notables as Sheikh Muhammad Nur Abdullah, Sheikh Abdullah Idris Ali, Imam Zaid Shakir, and Sheikh Hamza Yusuf have endorsed the Fast-a-Thon.
The TU-MSA website features a section whose purpose is to inform readers about Islam. This section deals in a disingenuous fashion with the issue of women's rights in the Muslim faith: "Islam views women as equal to but different from men. Islam teaches that women must be respected and protected. Islam does not condone oppression of women but to the contrary provides many rights to women. In some Middle Eastern countries women may be limited in certain rights. This is not due to Islam but due to the culture of that area." But these assertions are wholly untrue.
The TU-MSA website also addresses the topic of jihad in a deceptive way, minimizing the militaristic implications of the term:
"Jihad does not mean 'holy war.' Jihad in Arabic means to strive, struggle and exert effort. It is a central and broad Islamic concept that includes struggle against evil inclinations within oneself, struggle to improve the quality of life in society, for self-defense or fighting against tyranny or oppression."
Contrary to the foregoing claims, however, Islam scholars such as Daniel Pipes, Robert Spencer, and Bat Ye'or have explained that the form of jihad most central to Muslim life manifests itself as a boldly offensive, permanent war of conquest whose ultimate aim is to achieve Islam's dominion over the entire world.
On the weekend of March 29-31, 2002, TU-MSA hosted the MSA East Zone's Annual Conference, which featured a presentation by Imam Zaid Shakir. A former Muslim chaplain at Yale University, Shakir has expressed unequivocally his desire to see the United States eventually "become a Muslim country." Moreover, he has asserted that true Muslims could never accept the legitimacy of the existing American socio-political system because it "is against the orders and ordainments of Allah" and the Quran, which "pushes us in the exact opposite direction."
The aforementioned conference also featured a presentation by Shaikh Ibrahim Memon, a Buffalo, New York-based imam affiliated with a secretive Islamic training facility (in Buffalo) probably owned by the Islamic Society of North America. According to a Buffalo Common Council member, the people at the training facility were "armed and dangerous" and were "holding paramilitary exercises there."
In recent years the Muslim Students Association of the U.S. and Canada has led a movement to push for the installation — in the restrooms of universities and colleges nationwide — of foot baths for Muslim students who wish to practice the ritual washing of their feet before praying on campus. TU-MSA has supported the national MSA's efforts in this regard. As of July 2007, at least 17 universities — including Temple — already had installed, or were in the process of installing, such foot baths.
In October 2009, TU-MSA objected to the fact that the Dutch Parliamentarian Geert Wilders was scheduled to deliver an on-campus speech as part of Temple's upcoming Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week presentations. Most notably, the student group deplored Fitna, a fifteen-minute film that Wilders had produced examining why so many atrocities had been committed worldwide in the name of Islam. In an October 14 statement demanding that "his invitation be rescinded immediately," TU-MSA characterized Wilders as "a far-right Dutch MP who is infamous for his anti-Islamic rhetoric and extreme hatred towards Muslims"; complained that "the presence" of Wilders and his "hate-driven opinions" on the Temple campus would cause the university's Muslim population to feel "attacked, threatened, and ultimately unsafe"; asserted that "the decision to allow Mr. Wilders to share his viewpoints is a danger not only for the public safety of Muslims and the honor of the core principles of Islam, but also for academic integrity and objectivity on campus"; and claimed that "free speech" rights did not extend to opinions "based on hatred and discrimination."
Ultimately, Wilders did deliver his scheduled address at Temple. During a question-and-answer period, however, he was heckled and berated by student agitators so vocally and relentlessly, that he was unable to finish his remarks.
#######################################
MIM: In 2009 Dutch Parliamentarian Geert Wilders, who has been living in safehouses and needs bodyguards 24/7 since 2004 because of ongoing Muslim threats to kill him, spoke at Temple U despite efforts by the MSA and Abdullah to shut him down.
In his 'letter to the editor' of the Temple U News the MSA advisor and Imam claimed that Wilder's telling the truth about violence and intolerance in Islam was "hate speech".
############
Oct. 26, 2009
Dear editor,
I attended the presentation by Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders on Temple's Main Campus on Tuesday, October 20. He touched on the concept of free speech, however, it came over as a mere ruse
I attended the presentation by Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders on Temple's Main Campus on Tuesday, October 20. He touched on the concept of free speech, however, it came over as a mere ruse in an effort to spew his anti-Islam, anti-Muslim rhetoric. Free speech is valued; however, free speech should not be used as an umbrella for hate speech.
I tried to take down significant points that would be refuted during the MSA's pre-planned Peace Not Prejudice week, scheduled for November.
Wilders highlighted things that he readily admitted did not represent all Muslims. He validated his scare tactic by saying that he separates Muslims from Islam. For Muslims, the ideology of Islam is what defines us. Anyone who attempts to make a distinction between Islam and Muslims demonstrates a lack of understanding of what Islam is and what being a Muslim means. We get our title of Muslims because we have adopted Islam as our way of life. To claim that there is "no such thing as moderate Islam" is to discount the fact that Muslims are encouraged in the Qur'an that this is a religion of balance and moderation and are encouraged by the Prophet to seek a balanced way and not be too extreme.
Wilders made two other significant generalizations. The two emotionally sensitive practices he mentioned were female circumcision and honor killing. As one student aptly pointed out, these two practices are tribal and cultural practices that are not sanctioned by Islam.
Muslims deplore when people who have political or social agendas use religion as an excuse for inflicting harm and pain on others. National Muslim organizations, professors, and others have repeated this ad nauseam. Historically people have attempted to violently silence others because they disagree. Many of the world's leaders who transformed people, such as Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, have been assassinated because others were intolerant of their views. This is a human condition, not an Islamic one.
Discrimination is not endemic to Islam. It is endemic to an intolerant worldview – very akin to the worldview Wilders and Horowitz espouse. Extremist views are not endemic to Muslim societies, nor are they alien to the divisively-labeled western countries. Extremist, intolerant and xenophobic leaders have emerged in the Middle East, Asia, Israel, U.K., U.S. and now in the Netherlands.
It was refreshing to see Temple students show Wilders and Horowitz that intolerance is unwelcomed.
Horowitz and Wilders should do some research before coming to a research institution. However, they learned firsthand why Temple is heralded as one of the most diverse campuses. Temple might offer some of the lowest tuition rates, but this is one case in which you get a lot more than what you pay for.
Thank you Temple students for making your voices heard, and thank you Temple administration for reassuring all parties that they can continue feeling safe and welcomed at Temple.
Qaiser Abdullah
Adjunct Professor
College of Education
https://temple-news.com/letter-to-the-editor-qaiser-abdullah/
#################################
Salima Suswell was a CAIR advisory board member for government relations and community outreach in 2016.
She was recently appointed a Senior Advisor at Emgage - PA and National
She was Pennsylvania Deputy Senior Advisor for the Biden-Harris 2020 Campaign.
Suswell is the CEO and founder of the new Black Muslim Leadership Council.
March 7th 2024
(Director of Muslim Engagement within the Mayor's Office)
"At the news conference on March 7, Parker said Abdullah's appointment signifies a positive step towards building a city government that reflects Philadelphia's rich diversity."
Dr. Abdullah's appointment reflects our commitment to inclusivity and community-driven governance. His expertise and dedication will play a crucial role in ensuring that the voices and concerns of Philadelphia's Muslim residents are heard and valued," Mayor Parker said in a statement…
#########
March 8, 2024
"The nation's first Black Muslim Leadership Council, or BMLC for short, was launched in City Hall on Friday with hope to engage political leaders with Black Muslim voters and hear about their concerns."
"The council is a result of countless hours by so many dedicated, brilliant individuals, and I am thrilled that this day is finally here," said the council's founder and CEO Salima Suswell."
Suswell was joined by Muslim leaders nationally and locally, including: Ryan Boyer, business manager of the Laborers District Council; Catherine Hicks, president of the Philadelphia chapter of the NAACP; Omar Sabir, city commissioner; *Quaiser Abdullah, director of the Philadelphia Mayor's Office of Muslim Engagement; *state Sen. Sharif Street; Mika'il Stewart Saadiq, BMLC project manager; and Brittany Smalls of Black Voters Matter Pennsylvania.
######
The nation's first Black Muslim Leadership Council, or BMLC for short, was launched in City Hall on Friday with hopes to engage political leaders with Black Muslim voters and hear about their concerns.
The new entity aims to raise the representation and political influence of Black Muslims and set the agenda in the public and private sectors as the presidential election inches closer.
"The council is a result of countless hours by so many dedicated, brilliant individuals, and I am thrilled that this day is finally here," said the council's founder and CEO Salima Suswell. "It means even more to me to launch BMLC in Philadelphia, a city where m+y parents were pioneers in the Black American Muslim community, a community of which I am a devoted member."
Suswell was joined by Muslim leaders nationally and locally, including: Ryan Boyer, business manager of the Laborers District Council; Catherine Hicks, president of the Philadelphia chapter of the NAACP; Omar Sabir, city commissioner; Quaiser Abdullah, director of the Philadelphia Mayor's Office of Muslim Engagement; state Sen. Sharif Street; Mika'il Stewart Saadiq, BMLC project manager; and Brittany Smalls of Black Voters Matter Pennsylvania.
The newly founded group will have a political action wing and a nonprofit branch for nonpartisan strategies and election education classes to increase voter turnout. Its members are particularly focusing on swing states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan and Georgia.
The group anticipates that its formation will lead President Joe Biden and other political leaders to connect more with Black Muslim voters and hear about their concerns over issues such as affordable housing, disparities in Black maternal health, economic opportunities and education policies for young people.
"The issues that affect Black Muslims are issues that affect lots of other folks," Street said. "Black people's journey to Islam is one that cannot be separated from the civil rights movement and our journey to civil rights. Often those who are least educated, most likely to be affected by mass incarceration, most likely to be shot, most likely to have all the problems others folks have, and also those who are most likely to have the highest levels of education because Islam grew in the Black community, both in colleges and in prisons."
Black Muslims are the second-largest population of American Muslims. Roughly 70% to 80% of the Philadelphia Muslim community is Black, according to BMLC's press release. The group advocates to no longer be neglected in a social, economic and political sense.
Street noted the SEPTA bus shooting that left teenager dead and four others injured on Monday. The teen, Dayemen Taylor, received a Muslim funeral, a Janazah.
A young man who was killed from Imhotep," Street said. "He was a Muslim. In 2021, my nephew was shot at Ashby and 60th Street. There are Muslims dying in the streets as well. We care about their lives."
Suswell said that while the overall Muslim community is prioritizing conflicts in the Middle East, the Black Muslim community is positioned to help reflect the interests of the larger civil rights community.
"The Black Muslims have also become a significant voice," she said. "When it comes to voting and advocating to drive those voters to the polls, their voices will be instrumental in ensuring a greater turnout to the polls and to our voting system."
ksantosatphillytrib.com 215-893-5787
#######
POSTED MARCH 13, 2024
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, KLEIN COLLEGE OF MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION
Mayor Cherelle Parker made the historic appointment of the Klein faculty member.
In a historic action, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker appointed Temple University faculty member Quaiser D. Abdullah, CLA '03, EDU '07, '17, as the city's first-ever director of Muslim engagement during a news conference earlier this month at City Hall.
Abdullah, a distinguished educator at the Klein College of Media and Communication and a respected imam in Philadelphia's Muslim community, will assume the role and continue in his existing positions at the university. He is a faculty member in the Department of Communication and Social Influence and director of the master of science in communication management program. His unique perspective and deep ties to the religious community across the region position him well to bridge gaps and foster meaningful dialogue between city officials and Philadelphia's diverse Muslim population. Parker called the appointment a significant step towards greater inclusion and representation within the city's leadership.
"Dr. Abdullah's appointment reflects our commitment to inclusivity and community-driven governance. His expertise and dedication will play a crucial role in ensuring that the voices and concerns of Philadelphia's Muslim residents are heard and valued," Mayor Parker said in a statement.
Throughout his career, Abdullah has been a tireless advocate for understanding and cooperation, particularly during times of heightened tension, such as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. His efforts have earned prestigious awards, including the Faculty Senate's Outstanding Faculty Service Award at Temple University.
"What a wonderful time for our city and Temple University, with the appointment of Quaiser as director of Muslim engagement," said Rabbi Eli Freedman of Congregation Rodeph Shalom. "I could not think of anyone better. He has been such a voice for dialogue in our city, and I have had the honor of working closely with him at Interfaith Philadelphia."
Abdullah, who has lived in West Philadelphia for the last 24 years, is the board chair for Interfaith Philadelphia, co-president of the Association for Conflict Resolution, and former co-chair of the Mayor's Commission on Faith-Based and Interfaith Affairs in Philadelphia. He is also one of the imams at Masjid Quba in West Philadelphia.
Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, Abdullah has been associated with Temple University since 2000. His educational pursuits make him genuinely Temple Made. He earned three degrees at the university: his bachelor of arts in political science, religion, and Asian studies, his master's degree in adult and educational development, and his Ph.D. in educational psychology. He also taught at a private elementary school while studying and worked overnight shifts during this time.
The professor began working at Temple in 2004 in the IT department while teaching classes part time. He began teaching full time at the College of Education and Human Development in 2016 and transitioned to Klein College in 2019. He is currently an assistant professor specializing in conflict resolution.
Abdullah said he was honored to represent the city's more than 250,000 Muslims at over 70 places of worship in Philadelphia. Still, he felt his appointment would allow him to be inclusive of everyone.
"As Muslims, we are entrusted with the stewardship of the Earth and tasked with embodying God's mercy," Abdullah said. "Our duty extends beyond our religious community; it encompasses all humanity. I am committed to serving all religious communities not merely out of civic obligation but as a sacred mandate. While I may not fulfill every need, my intention is rooted in a justice-based approach, seeking to spread compassion and care wherever possible."
At the news conference on March 7, Parker said Abdullah's appointment signifies a positive step towards building a city government that reflects Philadelphia's rich diversity. Parker said Abdullah would work closely with Bishop Wilfred H. Speakes Sr., named director of the Mayor's Commission on Faith-based and Interfaith Affairs on the same day.
######
Senior Advisor
National and Pennsylvania
Salima Suswell serves as Senior Advisor for Emgage, the nation's largest Muslim American civic engagement organization. Salima is considered one of the nation's emerging leaders and top strategic thinkers on the local, state and national level. Salima also serves as CEO & President of Evolve Solutions, a management consulting firm founded in 2010. Salima founded Evolve Solutions to address the racial and socio-economic disparities within the black community. Evolve Solutions is an award-winning company which provides from the ground floor up, political and policy development that positively impacts community engagement outcomes.
Salima's noteworthy contributions include her role as Director for the Philadelphia Eid Coalition, who made history by leading a successful campaign to obtain the recognition of the two Islamic (Eid) Holidays on the academic calendar for Philadelphia Public Schools; her role as Chair of the Muslim American Host Committee for the 2016 Democratic National Convention, held in Philadelphia; her role as Pennsylvania Deputy Senior Advisor for the Biden-Harris 2020 Campaign; and her role as Vice-President and key organizer for Women's March on Philadelphia, which drew over 60,000 attendees annually.
Salima serves on the Leadership Council for the United Negro College Fund (Philadelphia Chapter); in 2017 Salima made history as the first Muslim woman appointed to the Governor's Advisory Commission on Women by Governor Tom Wolf; in 2020 Salima was appointed by Mayor James Kenney to the Mayor's Commission for Faith-Based and Interfaith Affairs); in 2023 Salima was reappointed to the Governor's Advisory Commission on Women by Governor Josh Shapiro.
In 2018, Salima founded the Philadelphia Ramadan & Eid Fund, a non-profit organization that oversees the annual Ramadan Iftar Dinner at City Hall, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha festivities, toy/gift giveaways and more. PREF's mission is to provide the community with Ramadan and Eid programming and shared experiences for children, youth and families, while celebrating the rich diversity within our region.
Salima has received distinguished honors and awards from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Pennsylvania State Senate, Philadelphia City Council, the Women-UP Organization, City and State Magazine, the Muslim Youth Association, The Philadelphia Public Record, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Philadelphia Tribune Women of Achievement Magazine and the prestigious Faatimah Gamble Legacy Award. In November 2019, Salima was honored by The Philadelphia Inquirer as a Diversity and Inclusion Pioneer. Last year, Salima was named as a "Faith Leader to Watch in 2022" by the Center for American Progress. In 2023 Salima was presented with the "Keeper of the Flame Award" by the United Negro College Fund (UNCF).
Reach me at [email protected]
###########
Member, CAIR-Philadelphia Advisory Board
9/9/2016
Salima Suswell currently serves as an Advisory Board member for the Council on American Islamic Relations – Philadelphia Chapter, with a focus upon Government Relations and Community Outreach.
In 2010, Salima founded Evolve Solutions, LLC., which is a consultancy firm specializing in Project Management, Government Relations, Public Relations, Community Engagement, and Event Production. Prior to establishing her own company, Salima worked as a Senior Litigation Specialist with the United States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania and as a Senior Litigation Paralegal for several prestigious national law firms.
Salima remains actively involved in the political process within the Philadelphia – Delaware Valley region, contributing her expertise and talents to local political organizations and campaigns. Among Salima's noteworthy contributions are the leadership and production of the Annual Philadelphia City Hall Iftar Dinner, held at the Mayor's Reception Hall at City Hall; her efforts with the leadership team of the Philadelphia Eid Coalition, who worked successfully to obtain the recognition of the two Eid Holidays in Philadelphia Public Schools and various Charter schools; and served as Chair of the Muslim American Host Committee for the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
Salima also serves as the National Diversity Director for the Council for Advancement of Muslim Professionals. Salima started her work with CAMP in 2007, serving as an Advisory Board Member for the CAMP Philadelphia Chapter, in 2007 through 2010. Thereafter, Salima served as President of the CAMP Philadelphia Chapter, in 2010 through 2012.
Salima holds a degree from combined studies at Pierce College and Drexel University's Lebow College of Business. Salima is currently studying Organizational Leadership and Development, at Saint Joseph's University.
####################################
COO & Imam
May 2007 - Present 17 years
Manage change initiatives in organization
Oversee developmental processes in organization
Chair and facilitate all meetings
Compile and perform organizational assessments
Manage subcommittees and departments in the organization
Deliver sermons monthly at Masjid Quba and other Philadelphia organizations
https://www.linkedin.com/in/quaiser
####################################
January 9, 2007
"America incarnates the devil for Muslims. When I say Muslims, I mean all the Muslims in the world."
Hassan al-Turabi, Saddam Hussein's close ally, Osama bin Laden's friend and one-time benefactor, as quoted in an interview with the Associated Press (1997)
"...Such educational and political luminaries as Hassan Turabi, the former President of the Sudan...have added their voices and their efforts to replenish and support International Muslim Brotherhood's educational agenda..."
Website of the Quba Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies in Philadelphia which recently did an interfaith event with Jewish student from the Gratz Jewish College.
"...The Brotherhood", as it has historically been known, has always served as a beacon to Muslims from all over the world that spent their lives in the preservation and dissemination of Sunni Islam. Such acknowledged Muslim luminaries as the world renowned Qaari, Sheikh Mahmoud Khalil Al-Husri, Dr. Medhat Hussanein, Dr. Abou Sulaiman and Dr. Hassan Turabi were all instrumental in contributing instruction in this masjid..."(The Quba Institute )
Website of the Muslim Brotherhood International Inc.
Jihad As Interfaith - CAIR, Hassan Al-Turabi and the Philly Mitzvah Food Pantry
By Beila Rabinowitz and William A. Mayer
January 9, 2007 - San Francisco, CA - PipeLineNews.org - The caption under the picture of the girl in the white hijab holding a plate to be filled with lasagna read, "Interfaith students prepare dinner for the Mitzvah Food Pantry." Standing shoulder to shoulder with students from Gratz Jewish College and the Archbishop Carroll High School at the November 16 Sukkat Shalom/Peace Shelter/Dar Us Salaam event was Ibrahim Muhaimin of the Quba Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies who declared that the experience gave him the opportunity to "go to his new found friends with questions about their beliefs," i.e., challenging them with Islam.
Gratz College professor "Rabbi" Carol Harris-Shapiro, a board member of the Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia which helped organize the event enthused, saying that "students form friendships that would not occur normally" and adding that the year-long program allows the time for "real bonds to develop...and all of the components reinforce each other...they are learning about each other as they are learning about the world..." http://www.jewishexponent.com/article/11431
Unfortunately for "Rabbi" Harris-Shapiro, the Quba Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies preaches a world-view much closer to al-Qaeda than the fuzzy kumbaya on public display at this event and has made no attempt to hide the group's Islamist roots.
According to the QIAI website, the school "is a corollary of the International Muslim Brotherhood' [the radical Egyptian Islamist organization responsible for assassinating Anwar Sadat, from which grew al-Qaeda, first WTC bomber Omar Abdel "the Blind Sheikh" Rahman, among others] and lists former Sudanese president Hassan Al Turabi as one of their three "political luminaries" who have "added their voices to the efforts to replenish and support the International Muslim Brotherhood's Educational agenda...and to expand the competency of their outreach [da'wa] programs..."
Ibrahim Muhaimin, the father of the above quoted Ibrahim Muhaimin, sits on the board of directors of Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia. On the QIAI website he describes himself as, "the Sheikh Anwar ibn Nafea Muhaimin, CEO & Imam Mufti The International Muslim Brotherhood, Inc. & Subsidiaries http://www.qubainstitute.com/anwar_bio.html
As a Federation of American Scientists' intelligence report notes:
"Today, a very complex financial network connects the operations of over seventy branches of the Muslim Brothers worldwide. During the Muslim Brothers' seventy-plus years of existence, there have been cycles of growth, followed by divisions into factions, including clandestine financial networks, and violent jihad groups, such as al-Jihad and al-Gama'at al-Islamiyya in Egypt, HAMAS in Palestine and mujahideen groups in Afghanistan." http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/mb.htm
Hassan al-Turabi has been dubbed by the European media as "The Pope of Terrorism."
According to the 911 Commission report:
"By the fall of 1989, Bin Ladin had sufficient stature among Islamic extremists that a Sudanese political leader, Hassan al Turabi, urged him to transplant his whole organization to Sudan.Turabi headed the National Islamic Front in a coalition that had recently seized power in Khartoum.30 Bin Ladin agreed to help Turabi in an ongoing war against African Christian separatists in southern Sudan and also to do some road building.Turabi in return would let Bin Ladin use Sudan as a base for worldwide business operations and for preparations for jihad." [source 911 report, p 57]
"America incarnates the devil for Muslims. When I say Muslims, I mean all the Muslims in the world." [source Hassan Al-Turabi, Saddam Hussein's close ally, Osama bin-Laden's friend and long-time benefactor, as quoted in a 1997 AP interview]
The other two QIAI "luminaries" are the Director of the University of Malaysia, Abdul-Hamid Abu Sulaiman and Medhat Hussanein, the Minister of Finance of the Arab Republic of Egypt.
In 2003 Malaysian Prime Minister caused an international outcry when he stated in speech, "1.3 billion Muslims cannot be defeated by a few million Jews."
One way in which the Jews can be defeated is by bogus "interfaith" events which are in actuality examples of jihad through da'wa.
Sheik Yusuf Qaradawi a founder of the Muslim Brotherhood declared in 1995 that, "We will conquer Europe, we will conquer America not through [the] sword but through da'wa." [efforts to convert infidels, source Qaradawi speech to Muslim Arab Youth Assoiciation, Toledo, Ohio]
The Mitzvah Pantry event involving the Learning and Leadership Institute of the Jewish Community College of Gratz High School should be looked upon as a primer for how Islamists exploit the Western desire for interfaith, using it instead to create false impressions of tolerance while granting themselves unwarranted legitimacy.
As we noted in a previous article:
"Interfaith is perhaps the most disingenuous of all Islamist tactics, relying on non-Muslim's almost complete ignorance of the tenets of the religion. Most basic is that to Muslims "faith sharing" is a one way proposition, a means of recruiting converts - jihad through da'wa. In this view all non-Muslims are seen as potential Muslims. Further complicating the offering of interfaith sharing as a panacea is that the rejection of Islam is a grave offense - apostasy - and the prescribed penalty is death - converts take note. The spirit of obfuscation is also alive in the preposterous assertion that Islam is one of the "Abrahamic faiths," thus creating a false sense of kinship and moral equivalency with Judaism and Christianity." [source Irvin Borowsky And the Center For The Study Of Islam And Democracy, Part II
The Mitzvah Pantry's "Peace Shelter" meal program also afforded the Council on American Islamic Relations [CAIR] - a Saudi funded front group for Hamas - the chance to pursue its cultural jihadist agenda through the participation of Muhammed Aziz.
Aziz is the Imam and president of the Islamic Society of Valley Forge [ISVF] who spoke to the participants about "hospitality in the Muslim tradition." In addition to running the Islamist ISVF, Aziz is also a board member of CAIR. His step daughter Adeeba Al Zaman runs the CAIR Philadelphia office.
CAIR's altruistic façade was stripped away this week, when California Senator Barbara Boxer rescinded a "Certificate of Acheivement" award given by her office to Basim Elkarra the head of the CAIR office in Sacramento, sparking a national uproar.
When questioned about why her office had taken the unprecedented step of rescinding the award to CAIR, Senator Boxer stated that "we made a bad mistake not researching the organization," noting, "CAIR's unwillingness to condemn Osama Bin Laden by name or condemn...Hamas."
The communications director of Boxer's office also cited the cases of Ghassan Elashi [see the PipeLineNews article Ghassan Elashi's Sentencing Proves CAIR's Terror Ties] a founding board member of the Texas branch of CAIR who was sentenced to 80 months in prison for business dealings with Hamas leader Musa abu Marzook [he is scheduled to go on trial, along with seven co-defendants again on July 16, 2007 before U.S. Chief District Judge A. Joe Fish [Texas] in a much more serious terror case, that of U.S. v. Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, HRF directly funded Hamas] as well as the case of Randal "Ismail" Royer a CAIR communications specialist and civil rights coordinator who was sentenced to 20 for conspiracy to "support Jihad overseas."
In the article in the Jewish Exponent entitled "Night of Service…Role of Hospitality" about the Food Pantry program, Graetz High School Student Marshall Moritz said he was "grateful" for the opportunity to learn about Islam and Christianity. Catholic school student Kimberly Spadero gushed "we all have the same ideas...even though the rituals in each religion differ..."
Jihad, suicide bombings, and beheadings?
The program outlined above is shockingly typical; motivated primarily by a sense of feel-goodism, Jewish and Christian groups are actually furthering the spread of Islamism because they are not exercising even a modicum of judgment before engaging in such phony interfaith exercises.
What of a positive nature is to be gained from breaking bread with groups that admire Hamas and benefactors of bin-Laden?
At some point the Judeo-Christian community must take personal responsibility for the enabling of its mortal enemies.
We therefore urge that the Gratz Jewish College, the Archbishop Carroll High School and involved parties to halt all such interfaith programs and immediately terminate their activities with the Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia. http://www.interfaithcenterpa.org/httpdocs/index1.html.
We challenge the Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia to review its entire program in light of the above information [with removal of Ibrahim Muhaimin Quba's Imam and self proclaimed "Imam Mufti The International Muslim Brotherhood" from the Center's board of directors a necessary first step] and call upon federal and local law enforcement to launch a thorough investigation into the Quba Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies and its Muslim Brotherhood and al-Qaeda supporters.
http://www.pipelinenews.org/index.cfm?page=mitzvah10907%2Ehtm
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
MIM: From the Quba Institute website
Introduction
The Quba Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies is a corollary of the International Muslim Brotherhood, Inc. The International Muslim Brotherhood was established in 1949. It is the oldest indigenous Muslim Organization/Masjid in Philadelphia. From as far back as 1967, when the first Adult Islamic Educational Programs were established, this masjid has been at the forefront of Islamic education. During that time, International Muslim Brotherhood forged partnerships with the Muslim Student Associations of local Universities to expand the level of competency of their educational outreach programs. Such educational and political luminaries as Hassan Turabi, the former President of the Sudan; Abdul-Hamid Abu Sulaiman, the Director of the Islamic University of Malaysia and Medhat Hassanein, the Minister of Finance of The Arab Republic of Egypt have added their voices and their efforts to replenish and support International Muslim Brotherhood's educational agenda.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.qubainstitute.com/anwar_bio.html
MIM: The biograpy of Imam Anwar Mumainin
|
||
"Sheikh Anwar Muhaimin is the eldest of eight children born to the late Sheikh Nafea Muhaimin (may Allah have Mercy on him) and Hajjah Najwa Iman Muhaimin. Sheikh Anwar is married and has a large family, himself.
At 11 years of age Sheikh Anwar and his family migrated to the Holy City of Medina, Saudi Arabia in order to study The Holy Qur'an, the Arabic Language and Islam. During his 15-year stay there, he exceeded all the expectations of his family and community. By the tender age of 15 years, masha-Allah, he had memorized the entire Qur'an under the tutelage of Sheikh Muhammad Khalil Al-Rahman, owner of the Khalil Al-Rahman Qur'an Schools. Though documented to be the first African American Hafith and lauded as a gifted Qaari at such an early age, that achievement only served to herald his later accomplishments in the academic arena. Starting in the first grade at 11 years of age, he went on to complete the Kingdom's entire school system, graduating first in his high school class of over 400. After accomplishment, he was bestowed the title of Sheikh by the Islamic University of Medina's Department of Arabic Language from which he graduated third in his class with honors also obtaining a minor in Arabic Literature. In addition to his academic studies in language and his traditional studies in Qur'an, he completed his post graduate classical receiving Ijaazat in Aqeedah, Hadith, Tafsir and Fiqh from some of the most prominent Islamic Scholars of our times. Upon returning to Philadelphia in 1989, he tirelessly worked alongside his late father (may Allah have Mercy on him) and his brother Hafith Anas Muhaimin, Imam IMB to expand the services offered to the Muslims of the Delaware Valley. In his organizational role as Imam Mufti and CEO of the International Muslim Brotherhood, Inc. and subsidiaries, he opened the Quba Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies, a full-time day school from Pre-K-12th grade in 1992, the Quba Institute for Advanced Studies an Adult Weekend School in 1989 and the Sheikh Nafea Muhaimin Qur'an School, offering a traditional Qur'anic memorization program in 2003. Other planned expansions include conversion to a year round day school in 2003-2004, The Janazah Center, Inc. (2006), Alif Translation and Publishing Co., Inc. ------------------------------ MIM: According to the Muslim Brotherhood International website Hasan Al Turabi "was instrumental in contributing instruction to this masjid" a refencence to the Quba Institute in Philadelphia. Al Turabi has visited the United States and spoke at a conference organised Sami Al Arian a professor at the University of South Florida. Al Arian the now jailed head of Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Tampa organised two think tank terrorism fronts "The World Islamic Studies Institute" (WIS ) and the Islamic Committee for Palestine (ICP).
MIM: The mission statement and board of directors of the Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia http://www.interfaithcenterpa.org/httpdocs/pages/about.htm The Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia advances mutual trust, understanding and cooperation among faith communities in order to work together for the common good of the region. To achieve these goals, the Interfaith Center:
Everyday citizens seek sources of strength and healing as well as ethical and moral guidance from their respective faith traditions and ethnic communities. Philadelphia, the birthplace of religious liberty provides fertile soil for the Interfaith Center, an institution aimed to lift up the values and voices of faith to invest in the welfare or our region. The Interfaith Center, which was jointly founded and led by many religious communities, helps to fill the much needed role of fostering interreligious understanding and cooperation in an effort to create greater social cohesion and stability. Aware that other cities have reaped the benefits from various models of Interfaith centers, a Multi-faith Advisory Committee was formed in September 2003 to assess the need for, and explore the possibility of, creating an Interfaith Center in the Greater Philadelphia area. This process resulted in an enthusiastic endorsement of the concept and the Interfaith Center embarked on a seven month planning phase in January of the following year. Since then the Interfaith Center has continued to grow and expand its involvement in the community. The Center has been able to establish various programs such as the interfaith youth service learning initiative, a program in which teens participate in a year-long project involving community service, dialogue and study of shared values while experimenting with various forms of self expression ranging from collages to haikus. In addition, the center coordinated an Alternative Spring Break trip for a group of students from North Carolina State University during which they created a mural, volunteered at an after school program and participated in educational interactions with many of the faith based communities in the Greater Philadelphia region. The Center has become a vast resource for the community, not only by helping to organize workshops and discussions to encourage multi faith interaction but also by creating a safe space to discuss controversial issues and shared values as well as the opportunity for asking questions and open dialogue. Goals of the Interfaith Center:
Executive Committee: Imam Muhammad Abdur-Razzaq Miller, Board Chair Board of Directors: Dr. Constance Carter (Jamilah Abdus-Sabur) Staff: Abby Stamelman Hocky is Executive Director of the Interfaith Center. Prior to this, she served as Associate Executive Director and Director of Interreligious Relations for the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Philadelphia. This work entailed striving to enhance interfaith understanding, resolve issues among religious groups and develop numerous models for dialogue -- especially among Muslims, Christians and Jews. Abby is a professional consultant for the Experiment in Congregational Excellence, working with synagogues in New York to re-imagine their models of Jewish education. She serves on the Board of the Arts & Spirituality Center and is an active member of her synagogue, Beth Am Israel. Abby received her BA from Lafayette College in Pennsylvania and her MSW from Yeshiva University's Wurzweiler School of Social Work in New York City. Marjorie Scharf is the Project Director of Walking the Walk: Values in Action, an Interfaith Youth Service Learning Initiative of the Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia. She also is a group facilitator for the Jewish Children and Family Service's Youth Mitzvah Corps, a service learning program for Jewish adolescents. Marjorie's professional background is in public health education and nutrition and has 25 years of experience in designing and implementing culturally relevant health education programs targeted to a variety of audiences: young mothers, youth, women diagnosed with breast cancer, public school teachers, and African Americans and Latinos living with HIV/AIDS. She has a Master's degree in Public Health from the University of California at Berkeley and an undergraduate degree from Penn State University. Sister Maria Hornung, MMS is Coordinator of Interfaith Education. In her early years as a Medical Mission Sister, Maria Hornung served as a pharmacist in Africa, then was called to education and administrative work. Her life in Africa spanned twenty five wonderful years. Most recently she completed a six year term as Sector Coordinator of Medical Mission Sisters in North America, a position that connected her both nationally and internationally with pressing needs. Believing in the great potential of faith groups to influence our world for the better Maria Hornung undertook studies in interreligious dialogue at Temple University and received her Masters in religion (Interreligious Dialogue). She also works with diverse groups, facilitating an understanding of their commonalities, and an acceptance of their differences. Maria Hornung is author of a book, Deepening Faith Through Interreligious Dialogue, Paulist Press, 2007. An accompanying manual is available to guide congregations and community groups in a process of adult education and dialogue. Our work is made possible, thanks to the generosity of our funders:
Individual supporters, congregations and religious communities. MIM: Information on Hassan Al Turabi "The Pope of Terrorism" http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/005/880qqeoh.asp
|
This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/8102