215474_01-64.qxd:IH
6/11/10
12:36 PM
Page 49
TRIBUTES
A Visionary Leader DAWUD TAUHIDI (1949-2010)
Veterans Organizer
D
Mujahid Muhammad (1935-2010)
awud Tauhidi passed away on 23 May after a two-year battle with cancer. ISNA salutes his great contribution to advancing Islamic education in North America. For more than two decades, he labored in the field as a teacher, researcher, administrator, and curriculum developer. His most recognized work, the Tarbiyah Project, seeks to translate Islamic values into practical and implementable programs. “I mourn brother Tauhidi not only as an educational leader and a pioneer in Islamic character education, but also as a dear brother whom I worked with for over 5 years when the school I was principal of was chosen as a pilot program for the Tarbiyah Project,” said Safaa Zarzour (secretary general, ISNA; former principal, Universal School of Bridgeview, IL). “He was such a selfless and dedicated soul that you could not help but admire and respect him.” A native of Philadelphia, Tauhidi, who embraced Islam in 1972, attended Lehigh University and later studied Arabic at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1980 he graduated from al-Azhar University with a degree in usul al-din and returned to Philadelphia to teach at its Islamic Community Center School. During his career, Tauhidi earned an M.A. in Islamic studies (University of Michigan, 1983) and two years later completed his Ph.D. candidacy examinations in the same field. During that time he served as a teaching assistant and a research assistant, and studied for a second M.A. in teaching Arabic as a second language. His research interests included “Towards a Model of an Islamic Philosophy of Education,” “Educational Institutions in Early Islam,” “The Affective Domain in Second Language Acquisition,” “Statistical and Lexical Studies of the Qur’anic Lexicon,” “Semantic Structures and Worldview of the Quran,” and other topics. In 1985, he began his life-long engagement with establishing Islamic
schools in North America by becoming a founding member of the Council of Islamic Schools in North America (CISNA), cofounding the Michigan Islamic Academy (Ann Arbor), and serving as its founding principal for three years. In 1988, he
U
Tauhidi’s most recognized work, the Tarbiyah Project, seeks to translate Islamic values into practical and implementable programs ________________________________________
helped form the Michigan Education Council and cofounded Crescent Academy International, a college-preparatory, Islamic school in suburban Detroit; he became its director in 1988. Tauhidi—who is survived by three sons and two daughters—was experienced in planning and establishing schools, policy development, school administration, curriculum development, teaching Arabic as a second language, holistic education, character education, public relations, computer programming, multimedia and graphic design, and fundraising for Islamic schools. During the past twelve years, he focused on developing an integrated curriculum for Islamic education. Known as the Tarbiyah Project, it seeks to provide an effective paradigm for teaching today’s Muslim children based on the Integrated Learning Model (ILM2), a holistic and integrated approach to education.
S Army Sergeant and Korean War POW Mujahid Muhammad (in red cap leading Boy Scouts from Masjid Muhammad at a National Mall parade) passed away 28 Mar. and was laid to rest on 1 Apr. at the Quantico National Cemetery, Triangle, VA. A cofounder of the Muslim American Veterans Association (MAVA), he joined the Nation of Islam in 1952 in Philadelphia and, after the passing of the late Hon. Elijah Muhammad, followed Imam W. D. Mohammed into mainstream Sunni Islam. Mujahid, whose distinguished Army career began on 28 Nov. 1953 at Roanoke, VA, was also a leader of Boy Scout Troop 1547 of Masjid Muhammad (Washington, DC) and a great and generous community pioneer. He served as a scout leader for over fifty years in both Philadelphia and Washington, DC. In collaboration with Dr. USAF Maj. (ret.) Christopher Bell, Jr., US Army Capt. (ret.) TalibDin Abdul-Wakil, and several other members of Masjid Muhammad, he cofounded MAVA to foster patriotism, fulfill civic duties, and establish Islamic communities. In pursuance of its mission to empower veterans “to do for self,” MAVA Post No.1 was formed in 1997. MAVA recruits Muslims who have separated or retired from the U.S. Armed Forces, preferably under honorable terms, and want to serve the general public. Considering the growing reluctance among Muslim soldiers to acknowledge their faith, MAVA reaches out to all active duty Muslim personnel and veterans who serve or have served in the Armed Forces. Mujahid, a POW for two years, was honorably discharged in 1967 at Fort Knox, KY. During his lifetime, he also worked as a long-distance truck driver, a construction worker, and a businessman. The eighth of nine children, he leaves behind one surviving sister, Joyce, and three daughters: LaChrista Jones, Sakina Smith, and Jacqueline Smith. His son, Warren Smith, Jr., is deceased. JULY/AUGUST 2010 ISLAMIC HORIZONS 49