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COVER STORY
PHOTOGRAPH BY JENNIFER MAYTORENA TAYLOR
Group praying at IMAN’s Taking it to the Streets Festival
5 3 % # / 5 0 / . # / $ % ) 3 . !
UUU R F C F ? J ? J H C P I W A M K
WANTED IMAM DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS: > Formal degree in Islamic Studies. > Fluency in English. > Excellent communication skills. > Experience and skills for organizing and teaching children, youth and adults education programs. > Ability to organize and represent in outreach and interfaith programs and conduct Dawa activities. > Ability to act as Imam for prayers, especially Friday prayers. > Be well versed with different Islamic schools of thought and be able to appreciate practices, traditions of diverse Muslim population in the community. > A good knowledge of Arabic and recitation of Qur’an is required. VISA AND RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS:
Visa and Residency requirements: Must be a US citizen, Permanent Resident or have a current US work visa. COMPENSATION:
Competitive salary, commensurate with experience and qualifications. TO APPLY: Please send resume
along with a cover letter and at least three references to: Islamic Society of Evansville, P O Box 8065, Evansville IN 47716 (Telephone 618-384-2226)
While many Muslim charities focus on sending money overseas, IMAN focuses on “domestic issues such as housing or helping ex-offenders re-enter communities.� for social justice, delivers services (e.g., career development, a food pantry, and a free health clinic) and provides a platform for Muslims to further the arts through their “Takin’ it to the Streets� festival and “Community Cafe.� An organization that created the model for area Muslims interested in working consistently on finding solutions to urban poverty, gangs, recidivism, and other issues, IMAN is unique in that it calls upon Muslims to not just provide services, but to create systemic change by lobbying elected officials. While many Muslim charities focus on sending money overseas, IMAN focuses on “domestic issues such as housing or helping ex-offenders re-enter communities.� For example, it pushed for enactment of the SMART Act, one effort under the umbrella of Project Restore intended to “reduce mass incarceration and provide alternative sentencing for nonviolent drug offenders.� This bill, which “allows judges to divert low-level, non-violent drug offenders into county drug schools, resulted in a 15% recidivism rate as opposed to the 55% that return to prison. In May 2007, this critical piece of legislation passed unanimously through the Illinois State Senate.� IMAN’s commitment to comprehensive immigration reform has roots in its members’ work with Latino day laborers on Chicago’s southwest side. “This work resulted in the recovery of $10,000 in stolen wages for day laborers.� 48 ISLAMIC HORIZONS JULY/AUGUST 2010
The organization’s latest campaign, Muslim Run, seeks to improve relations between immigrant Muslim business owners and predominantly black residents in the poverty stricken neighborhoods in which these businesses are located. An ever-increasing number of Muslims own the local food and alcohol stores, which are characterized by dilapidated exteriors and dimly lit interiors. Area residents fault them for being hang-outs for drug dealers and gangbangers and dispensers of liquor to minors. IMAN intends to initiate efforts to help business owners and area residents overcome racial stereotypes and appeal to the business owners to change their stores’ appearances and even their business itself, so that it will be more reflective of Islamic ideals. IMAN has been featured on Chicago Public Radio, Chicago Public TV, Chicago Tribune, and other media outlets. As a result, Nashashibi is often considered the face of the Muslim community. All of these stories have one thing in common: they often began with one person with a passion for social justice, one person believing that he/she could be the change he/she wants to see.
______________________________ Naazish YarKhan is managing editor of “Halal Consumer� magazine and founder/director of the award-winning nonprofit Refugee Assistance Programs. Contributing writer: Rasmieyh Abdelnabi, a former journalist, is now the assistant director of programs at Arab American Family Services in Bridgeview, IL.