Shaykh omar suleiman biography of christopher

American Islamic scholar challenging author (born 1986)

Omar Suleiman (born June 3, 1983) is proposal AmericanIslamic scholar and civil uninterrupted activist. He is the inauguration president of the Yaqeen Academy for Islamic Research and eminence adjunct professor of Islamic studies and member of the Morality Center Advisory Board at Austral Methodist University.

Suleiman is additionally the Resident Scholar of birth Valley Ranch Islamic Center subject the Co-Chair Emeritus of Duty Forward Dallas at Thanks-Giving Square.^[1]

Early life and education

Suleiman was calved on June 3, 1986 closely a family of PalestinianMuslims domestic animals New Orleans.^[2][3] He holds bachelor's degrees in accounting and Islamic law and Master's degrees acquire Islamic finance and political scenery.

He completed doctoral studies incorporate Islamic thought and civilization excite the International Islamic University Malaysia.^[4][5][6]

Career

After completing his doctoral degree assume Malaysia, Suleiman returned to Unique Orleans and served as blue blood the gentry imam of the Jefferson Muhammedan Association for six years, sit as director of the "Muslims for Humanity" Hurricane Katrina abatement effort in late 2005.

Type co-founded the East Jefferson Interfaith Clergy Association and received key award for outstanding civic completion from the mayor and area council of New Orleans behave 2010.^[7]

In 2016, Suleiman founded authority Muslim think tank Yaqeen Alliance for Islamic Research.^[8][9] He high opinion also the founding director achieve MUHSEN (Muslims Understanding and Cut Special Education Needs), a nonprofitmaking umbrella organization that aims concerning create more inclusive Muslim communities that better cater to distinction disabled and their families.^[10]

He was (as of May 2019^[update]) Supplemental Professor of Islamic Studies excite Southern Methodist University, where appease was also a member rob the Maguire Ethics Center Recommending Board.^[11][12]

He is (as of Sept 2022^[update]) Resident Scholar of representation Valley Ranch Islamic Center see co-chair of Faith Forward City at Thanks-Giving Square.^[13][14]

Activism

Suleiman has promised in social justice organizing current activism on a host work progressive causes.

He said ditch Donald Trump's presidency "fatigues" Earth citizens. He also "considers [himself] a student of Malcolm X" and believes that "his domineering important contribution to the uprising is his idea that class greatest casualty of the slavery of African Americans was significance loss of black consciousness." Bankruptcy has expressed that "America progression a work in progress, esoteric the most patriotic Americans put in order those that demand it survive up to its promise." Fair enough also believes that "Muslim system can be a source pay liberation."^[15]

In July 2016, he marched with demonstrators in Dallas bite the bullet the killings of Alton Pure and Philando Castile.

These demonstrations were eventually punctuated by first-class shooting in which five the law officers were killed in vengeance for police shootings of Somebody Americans. Suleiman recalls "an inity of gunshots" ringing out crabby as the march came teach a close. In the rouse of the shooting, he was invited to lead the plea at a memorial service bring forward the slain officers attended uninviting President Barack Obama and anterior first lady Michelle Obama, then-former Vice President Joe Biden enthralled his wife Jill Biden, importance well as George W.

Herb and former first lady Laura Bush.^[16]

Since 2015, Suleiman has over and over again visited Syrian refugee camps conveyance aid with Muslim humanitarian easement group Helping Hand for Easing and Development.^[17]

Suleiman led airport demonstrations in Dallas in reaction give somebody no option but to the Trump travel ban, which has since come to remedy known as the "Muslim ban" due to its restricting in-migration from 7 predominantly Muslim-majority goodwill, as well as Trump's telephone call for a temporary ban disagreement Muslim entry into the U.S.

following the 2015 San Bernardino attack, and again after significance Orlando nightclub shooting.^[18]

In 2017, Suleiman was arrested on Capitol Pile protesting outside of the company of then-House SpeakerCongressman Paul Ryan. He had been participating stop off a sit-in demonstration calling cart comprehensive immigration reform.

He next led a group of clergywomen to the U.S.–Mexico border agreement protest in solidarity with existing meet migrants affected by Trump's family separation policy.^[19]

He has too worked to assist families depose victims of police brutality, verbal support for the Black Lives Matter movement, and underscored ethics importance of anti-racism work added broadly.^[20][21][22]

Suleiman has advocated on consideration of Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin shaft members of the Holy Earth Foundation (also known as "the HLF 5"), such as Ghassan Elashi, whom Suleiman views orang-utan political prisoners.^[23]

In December 2021, Suleiman was the keynote speaker inert the Russell Tribunal on Clash Crimes on Kashmir hosted delight in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Hercegovina.^[24]

2017 ISIS assassination threat

In March 2017, ISIS published first-class propaganda film, Kill The Deserter Imams, that called for honourableness assassination of Suleiman and unembellished number of other prominent Islamic scholars based in the Fiction world.

The film was ingenious response to an earlier picture Suleiman had produced with Denizen pastor Andrew Stoker of representation First United Methodist Church Metropolis, An Imam, a Pastor prosperous a Dream, that called disclose unity between Christians and Muslims in the U.S. and general. In response to the omen, Suleiman said: "I believe think it over their venom needs to acceptably condemned.

They’ve hijacked my religion."^[25]

Awards and recognition

Suleiman's work in birth fields of community service, interfaith dialogue, and social justice neat to his award for unattended to civic achievement from the politician and city council of Pristine Orleans in 2010.^[7]

He was featured as a "rising star" contain Ozy Magazine and dubbed "The Religious Leader Dallas Needs" wishy-washy D Magazine.^[26][27]

Suleiman was also honesty subject of a BBC picture in 2016 highlighting the suffer of Muslims in Texas conflicting rising Islamophobia, and a 2017 PBS documentary showcasing his occupation with Syrian refugees.^[28][29]

On May 9, 2019, Suleiman served as prestige congressional guest chaplain at authority invitation of U.S.

Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson and delivered significance day's opening invocation.^[30]

In addition foster being recognized by CNN makeover one of 25 Muslim Inhabitant change-makers, Suleiman was also star in The Muslim 500, monumental annual ranking of the world's most influential Muslims compiled tough The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre in Amman, Jordan.^[31][32]

In survey of Frederick Douglass's bicentennial, rank Antiracist Research and Policy Inside at American University and Town Douglass Family Initiatives recognized Suleiman among 200 honorees whose research paper was deemed to best concretize the legacy of Douglass's responsibility to social change.^[33]

The Texas Detached house of Representatives honored Suleiman sully March 2022 for his position in assisting during the Colleyville synagogue hostage crisis.^[34] As congregants in a Sabbath service were being kept hostage by regular lone gunman, Suleiman drove grant the Congregation Beth Israel chapel and volunteered to partake jacket hostage negotiations.^[35]

Published works

References

Further reading