| American Islamic Congress - New England Council |
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The American Islamic Congress (AIC) is a civil rights organization promoting tolerance and the exchange of ideas among Muslims and between other peoples. AIC’s New England Council promotes pluralistic Muslim identity and interfaith understanding here in New England. The Council’s specific goals are to:
- Celebrate Muslim cultural diversity;
- Provide responsible civic leadership on intra- and inter-communal relations;
- Enrich civic life in New England via compelling community events.
The Council’s efforts focus on several key areas:
Council members come from a range of backgrounds. Below are brief bios of some members, presented as a reflection of the Council’s commitment to cultural diversity:
Nasser Weddady: Weddady chairs the New England Council and serves as AIC’s Civil Rights Outreach Director. A Mauritania native who grew up in Libya, Syria, and Ethiopia, Weddady is an expert on reform efforts in the Muslim world and interfaith dialogue with diverse communities. He is fluent in Arabic, French, Hebrew, and Spanish.
Dina Abkairova: With a degree in Intercultural Communication, Abkairova leads the Council’s outreach efforts. A native of Russia, she hails from the Tatar minority and promotes public appreciation of the cultural diversity within the Muslim community. She is a graduate of the Commonwealth Seminar.
Raza Shaikh: Associate Director of Infomatics at the Broad Institute at MIT and Harvard, Shaikh is an entrepreneur with experience in hi-tech and bio-tech. In addition to work at the Broad Institute, he runs a team of iPhone app developers in his native Pakistan that has released “Free Boston” among other products.
Dr. Mehmet Ali Sanlikol: An expert on jazz, western, and classical Turkish music, Sanlikol has released several albums, composed film scores, performed around the world, and teaches at Emerson College. Sanlikol co-founded Dunya, a nonprofit that organizes Turkish concerts, including unique performances with Armenian, Jewish, and Greek musicians.
Afrah Haji: Filmmaker and social worker, Haji uses her films to explore her multifaceted identity as a Somali woman who grew up as a non-citizen in Kuwait, lived for two decades as a non-citizen in Germany, and now calls Cambridge home. Haji is on staff at Watertown’s Perkins School for the Blind.
Dr. Adnan Zubcevic: Director of the Bosnian Community Center for Resource Development in Lynn, Zubcevic is a psychiatrist who worked with Doctors Without Borders and Massachusetts General Hospital. His organization represents New England’s 15,000-strong Bosnian community and assists immigrants from around the world.
Dr. Fatai Ilupeju: An Anesthesiologist at Boston Medical Center, Illupeju co-founded Masjid Ar-Rahman, a Boston mosque that serves as the center for the Nigerian Islamic Society of Massachusetts. He also volunteers on medical mission in Niger with the International Organization for Women and Development .
Zamzam Syed: A member of the Massachusetts and California bar, Syed is an attorney specializing in real estate, family, and environmental law. Syed is also a fashion designer fusing traditional eastern motifs with modern styles. She also works with the charity Your Dil to promote literacy is remote areas of her native Pakistan.
Dr. Fallou Ngom: Director of the African Language Program at Boston University, Ngom is a native of Senegal and an expert on West African culture. He teaches an array of languages and lectures on indigenous Senegalese Sufi practices. His unique work on the “Ajami” writing system was profiled in Bostonia magazine.
Dr. Ala Khaki: An engineer, Khaki began writing poetry and joined the reform movement in his native Iran as a teenager, earning stints in prison for his activism and poetry. A self-declared “American by choice,” Khaki has spoken on art and human rights at Harvard, MIT, and Brandeis. He has published poetry collections in English and Farsi.
Addi Ouadderrou: A native of southern Morocco, Ouadderrou runs Moroccan Caravan, a North African folk-craft center and tour provider in Somerville. He is an expert on Amazigh (Berber) culture and regularly leads international tour groups across Morocco. He helps organize an annual celebration of Yennayer, the Amazigh New Year.
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