Paying it Forward Scholarship fund makes the presence of Muslims in the media a viable reality. By Zeeba Anarwala
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burgeoning five-year-old organization is hoping to make a difference for Muslims nationwide through scholarship funding for students studying the humanities, social sciences and liberal arts. The Islamic Scholarship Fund aims to create Muslim thought leaders in these fields to provide Muslims a powerful voice in shaping American attitudes and policies toward Muslims and the Islamic world. The founder of ISF, Dr. Hamid Rezapour, sensed a lack of representation of Muslims in public discourse and decided to take action. “I was frustrated with the fact that there were more non-Muslims on TV, newspaper and other forms of media that were so called ‘experts’ on Islam than Muslims, and the Muslim voice in rebuttal was simply absent,” Rezapour says. As a dentist and MBA-degree holder, Rezapour says he felt education was the way to help solve this problem. “The creation of a self-sustaining scholarship program that focuses strictly on the fields of studies and professions that affect public policy and influence public opinion was the logical approach.” In 2011, ISF will provide 14 to 16 scholarships in the total amount of $38,000 to $42,000 — up at least $8,000 from the year before. Recipients are chosen solely on merit and not financial need. Students must have a minimum 3.4 grade-point average, and show dedication to extracurricular activities and community involvement. A committee of university professors, nonprofit organization leaders and community members review and score applications and grant interviews. Post-graduation requirements include volunteering 50 hours for a Muslim organization
(Top) Iman Zawahry, ISF 2009-2010 recipient, directed the short film "UnderCover," which opened in 25 film festivals and won seven awards. (Bottom) Daanish Faruqi, ISF 2010-2011 recipient, just published his first book, "From Camp David to Cast Lead: Essays on Israel, Palestine, and the Future of the Peace Process."
within one year of receiving the scholarship. Scholarship recipients in the past have praised ISF for not only the monetary gift, but for how it has had an impact on their sense of self. Zuleqa Husain, a journalist, felt more compelled to speak up. “After receiving this scholarship, I have become more vocal and active in getting the voices of American Muslims projected and heard by those in power. To sum it up, I believe it is my duty to be not just a good Muslim citizen but to be a deliberate and efficacious Muslim citizen,” Husain says. For Jason Van Boom, adjunct professor at Pacific School of Religion and a recent convert to Islam, the scholarship was an integral part in showing him the broadmindedness and acceptance of Muslims. “I received the scholarship about nine months after I had become a Muslim. My academic specialty is history of Christianity,” Van Boom says. “When I took shahada, I had no idea if or how my specialty fit within the Muslim community. So, the scholarship gave me a sense of validation.” ISF is eagerly looking for more funding to expand its program. The main source of fund-
After receiving this scholarship, I have become more vocal and active in getting the voices of American Muslims projected and heard by those in power," Husain says.
Islamic Horizons September/October 2011
ing comes from donations from the public. However, an individual or family can sponsor a named scholarship for a specific field of study or profession. People can also donate into the ISF endowment fund which is structured similarly to a university endowment fund. Additionally, donors can pledge a monthly amount to support the “One Student a Week Campaign.” “Our goal is to get the commitment of enough individuals each year to make monthly donations of any amount in order to support approximately 50 scholarships per year,” Rezapour explains. He says the long-term goal for ISF is to develop an endowment fund based on the university model that can be self-sufficient and award hundreds of scholarships each year. “Our biggest challenge is time,” Rezapour says. “We need to grow at an exponential rate in order to support and ultimately produce enough Muslims in the fields of studies that we support to make a meaningful impact on our destinies in a timely manner, before it is too late.” The second challenge is educating Muslim parents so they will encourage their children to pursue careers other than those in medicine and engineering. “Those are wonderful professions, [but] we also need Muslim journalists, lawyers, politicians, filmmakers, educators and academicians in order to better integrate ourselves into the fabrics of the society,” he says. “We believe that we as Muslims would be in a very different place if one day, every Islamic center and mosque around the nation supported one ISF scholarship per year.” According to ISF, there are scholars who have concluded that zakat money is eligible for scholarship funding for those who qualify as zakat receipients. For more information on donating to the Islamic Scholarship Fund or applying for awards, visit the website at: www.islamicscholarshipfund.org.
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Zeeba Anarwala is a freelance writer based in North Carolina.
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