Los Angeles. He attended the Association of Muslim Social Scientists Convention at East Lansing in 1993. At AMSS, he coordinated an international conference on Islamic Spain in Lahore in November 1991. Ahsani presented a paper on the current state of research on Islamic Spain, which was published in Journal of American Social Scientists in 1992. In 1995, he presented a paper on “Strategy for development of the Ummah: Political Economic and Social dimensions” at The Islamic Research Foundations Conference in Chicago. Since 1995, he has been working as chairman of Southwest American Muslim Alliance. Since 2001, Ahsani served as chairman/co‐chairman of the Regional Conference of Southwest Association of American Muslim Social Scientists held in Dallas/Fort Worth. In 2001, the conference was held in Dallas. In 2004, the local organizing and planning committee made the transition to establish the Institute of Medieval and Post-Medieval Studies, Dallas/ Fort Worth Branch. Ahsani was the president until 2008, after which he became the institute’s president emeritus. He is survived by his wife, three sons and a daughter.
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Abdulalim Abdullah Shabazz 1927 – 2014
Teacher and Leader
A
bdulalim A. Shabazz died June 25, 2014, in Grambling, Louisiana, where he was a professor and endowed chair of mathematics at Grambling State University. He received the National Association of Mathematicians Distinguished Service Award for his years of mentoring and teaching excellence. President Clinton awarded Shabazz with a National Mentor award in September 2000. Shabazz was born with the name Lonnie Cross in Bessemer, Alabama. In 1949, he earned a bachelor of arts degree in chemistry and mathematics from Lincoln University. Two years later, he earned a master of science degree in mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a doctor of philosophy in 1955 in mathematical analysis from Cornell University. The subject of his doctoral dissertation was: “The Distribution of Eigenvalues of the Equation: Integral of A(S-T) PHI (T) with Respect to T Between Lower Limit -A and Upper Limit A=Rho (Integral of B(S-T)).” Shabazz was appointed assistant professor of mathematics by Tuskegee Institute in 1956. From 1957 until 1963, he served as chairman and associate professor of mathematics at Clark Atlanta University. Shabazz announced in 1961 that he was a member of the Nation of Islam (later on he converted to mainstream Islam). From 1975 until 1986, Shabazz taught in Chicago, Detroit, and in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. In 1986, Shabazz came back to Clark Atlanta where he served as chair
ISLAMIC HORIZONS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014
Abdulalim Abdullah Shabazz (Courtesy Photo/draas.info/home)
from 1990 until 1995. From 1998 until 2000, Shabazz was chairman of the mathematics and computer science department at Lincoln University, Pennsylvania. The American Association for the Advancement of Science presented him with its 1992 Mentor Award for his leadership in efforts to increase the participation of women, minorities, and individuals with physical disabilities in science and engineering. He received the National Association of Mathematicians Distinguished Service Award for his years of mentoring and teaching excellence. In 2001, the Association of African American Educators awarded Shabazz with its Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding work with African Americans in mathematics. Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed, national director, ISNA Office for Interfaith & Community Alliances said Shabazz was a regular member of ISNA and attendee at ISNA conventions and conferences. He had close contact with the leadership, and it was always an uplifting experience to welcome Shabbaz and discuss with him how best to relate to our brothers and sisters from the African American background. “We will miss him as a leader and as a strong supporter of our work,” Syeed said. “He has earned paradise for his service to the cause of God and his compassionate relationship with the community. We pray to Allah to reward him and help us to advance his legacy of intellectual and community work. We express our condolence to his bereaved family and ask God to give them patience.”
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