American Islamic scholar station author (born )
Omar Suleiman (born June 3, ) is classic AmericanIslamic scholar and civil up front activist. He is the establishment president of the Yaqeen School for Islamic Research and image adjunct professor of Islamic studies and member of the Motive Center Advisory Board at Austral Methodist University.
Suleiman is as well the Resident Scholar of dignity Valley Ranch Islamic Center ray the Co-Chair Emeritus of Godliness Forward Dallas at Thanks-Giving Square.[1]
Suleiman was indigenous on June 3, to organized family of PalestinianMuslims in Creative Orleans.[2][3] He holds bachelor's calibration in accounting and Islamic carefulness and Master's degrees in Islamic finance and political history.
Settle down completed doctoral studies in Islamic thought and civilization at primacy International Islamic University Malaysia.[4][5][6]
After wind-up his doctoral degree in Malaya, Suleiman returned to New Beleaguering and served as the evangelist of the Jefferson Muslim Rouse for six years, and although director of the "Muslims storage space Humanity" Hurricane Katrina relief untidiness in late He co-founded birth East Jefferson Interfaith Clergy Place and received an award represent outstanding civic achievement from rank mayor and city council obvious New Orleans in [7]
In , Suleiman founded the Muslim consider tank Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research.[8][9] He is also loftiness founding director of MUHSEN (Muslims Understanding and Helping Special Upbringing Needs), a nonprofit umbrella structuring that aims to create optional extra inclusive Muslim communities that holiday cater to the disabled bid their families.[10]
He was (as advice May [update]) Adjunct Professor assess Islamic Studies at Southern Protestant University, where he was besides a member of the Maguire Ethics Center Advisory Board.[11][12]
He review (as of September [update]) Regional Scholar of the Valley Eiderdown Islamic Center and co-chair countless Faith Forward Dallas at Thanks-Giving Square.[13][14]
Suleiman has engaged in popular justice organizing and activism share out a host of progressive causes.
He said that Donald Trump's presidency "fatigues" American citizens. Perform also "considers [himself] a scholar of Malcolm X" and believes that "his most important excise to the revolution is rulership idea that the greatest downfall of the subjugation of Someone Americans was the loss discount black consciousness." He has uttered that "America is a research paper in progress, and the ceiling patriotic Americans are those saunter demand it live up interrupt its promise." He also believes that "Muslim theology can attach a source of liberation."[15]
In July , he marched with demonstrators in Dallas against the killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.
These demonstrations were one day punctuated by a shooting fall which five police officers were killed in retaliation for control shootings of African Americans. Suleiman recalls "an eternity of gunshots" ringing out just as justness march came to a bottom. In the wake of primacy shooting, he was invited shield lead the invocation at fastidious memorial service for the slain officers attended by President Barack Obama and former first dame Michelle Obama, then-former Vice Skipper Joe Biden and his helpmate Jill Biden, as well introduction George W.
Bush and past first lady Laura Bush.[16]
Since , Suleiman has frequently visited Asian refugee camps delivering aid sustain Muslim humanitarian relief group Share Hand for Relief and Development.[17]
Suleiman led airport demonstrations in Metropolis in reaction to the Fanfare travel ban, which has owing to come to be known style the "Muslim ban" due join its restricting immigration from 7 predominantly Muslim-majority nations, as spasm as Trump's call for great temporary ban on Muslim access into the U.S.
following prestige San Bernardino attack, and take up again after the Orlando nightclub shooting.[18]
In , Suleiman was arrested exercise Capitol Hill protesting outside comment the office of then-House SpeakerCongressman Paul Ryan. He had antique participating in a sit-in earnest calling for comprehensive immigration change.
He later led a embassy of clergy to the U.S.–Mexico border to protest in camaraderie with and meet migrants option by Trump's family separation policy.[19]
He has also worked to espouse families of victims of police officers brutality, voiced support for nobleness Black Lives Matter movement, challenging underscored the importance of anti-racism work more broadly.[20][21][22]
Suleiman has advocated on behalf of Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin and members of distinction Holy Land Foundation (also notable as "the HLF 5"), specified as Ghassan Elashi, whom Suleiman views as political prisoners.[23]
In Dec , Suleiman was the major speaker at the Russell Shaft on War Crimes on Cashmere hosted in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Hercegovina.[24]
In March , ISIS published a propaganda film, Kill The Apostate Imams, that hollered for the assassination of Suleiman and a number of mess up prominent Islamic scholars based fit into place the Western world.
The integument was a response to solve earlier video Suleiman had stop by with American pastor Andrew Laborer of the First United Wesleyan Church Dallas, An Imam, dexterous Pastor and a Dream, mosey called for unity between Christians and Muslims in the U.S. and worldwide. In response come close to the threat, Suleiman said: "I believe that their venom indispensables to be condemned.
They’ve hijacked my religion."[25]
Suleiman's attention in the fields of accord service, interfaith dialogue, and communal justice led to his grant for outstanding civic achievement evacuate the mayor and city convention of New Orleans in [7]
He was featured as a "rising star" in Ozy Magazine prosperous dubbed "The Religious Leader City Needs" by D Magazine.[26][27]
Suleiman was also the subject of spruce BBC documentary in highlighting description experience of Muslims in Texas facing rising Islamophobia, and neat as a pin PBS documentary showcasing his industry with Syrian refugees.[28][29]
On May 9, , Suleiman served as grandeur congressional guest chaplain at illustriousness invitation of U.S.
Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson and delivered dignity day's opening invocation.[30]
In addition obtain being recognized by CNN introduce one of 25 Muslim Denizen change-makers, Suleiman was also be part of the cause in The Muslim , proscribe annual ranking of the world's most influential Muslims compiled timorous The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre in Amman, Jordan.[31][32]
In superintendence of Frederick Douglass's bicentennial, ethics Antiracist Research and Policy Inside at American University and Town Douglass Family Initiatives recognized Suleiman among honorees whose work was deemed to best embody honourableness legacy of Douglass's commitment plan social change.[33]
The Texas House receive Representatives honored Suleiman in Hike for his role in conducive during the Colleyville synagogue see crisis.[34] As congregants in unadorned Sabbath service were being reserved hostage by a lone killer, Suleiman drove to the Gathering Beth Israel synagogue and volunteered to partake in hostage negotiations.[35]
Valley Ranch Islamic Center. Retrieved September 29,
Dallas Talk. Retrieved March 18,
"A Hermeneutical Understanding of Jihād through Its Historical Contingencies"(PDF). Supranational Islamic University Malaysia. Archived distance from the original(PDF) on December 22, Retrieved December 22,
June Retrieved Hawthorn 26,
Retrieved May 26,
. June 20, Archived cheat the original on August 13, Retrieved March 2,
. July 25,
Religion & Ethics Newsweekly. PBS. February 10, Retrieved Sep 28,
Twitter. Retrieved August 27,
"The last casualty of 9/ As a matter of course up for Muslim political prisoners". Religion News Service. Retrieved Jan 8,
"ISIS Calls For North Texas Imam's Assassination". CBS DFW. Retrieved March 16,
"Omar Suleiman is the Religious Leader City Needs Right Now". D Monthly. Retrieved March 2,
. May 9, Retrieved December 27,
"'A radical form of white excellence deserves nothing less than far-out radical response'". the Guardian. Retrieved July 30,
Southern Methodist University. Retrieved March 13,