AUGUST 12, 2019 In celebration of the Eid Al-Adha holiday, MALA partnered with the Middle East Institute (MEI) to host a celebration and cultural exchange showcasing a variety of different cultural traditions of observance from around the world. Guests connected, shared traditional foods, and participated in henna, paper marbling, calligraphy, and other cultural activities. The […]
View DetailsJuly 17,2019 This week, MALA’s Deputy Director, Ahmed Flex Omar will speak at the Chicago FUND Conference. Flex will speak on a panel titled, Growing Your Organization’s Diversity, Equality, & Inclusion, which will address various strategies for improving diversity and inclusion from an organizational perspective. Flex is a mentor, an advocate, and and leader in the Chicago […]
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On May 29, 2019, MALA’s office in Washington, DC organized a joint Iftar Dinner with the Embassy of Azerbaijan to celebrate the month of Ramadan, freedom of religion, diversity, and inclusion. This event took place at the Embassy of Azerbaijan with the participation of 30 guests and included welcoming remarks by both the Embassy staff […]
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JUNE 18, 2019 Last week, MALA’s Executive Director, Zainab Khan sat down with Maria Torrens of Salam Plan to discuss MALA’s work in storytelling, and her own unique perspective on identity and empowerment in America’s Muslim communities and beyond. When asked about her Muslim identity, Khan responds, “I don’t just want to be known as […]
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MAY 10, 2019 This week, one of MALA’s Co-Founders, Emil Aldaddah, was presented with the Chicago Cultural Alliance’s award for Outstanding Community Leadership. Emil’s work to advocate for, and construct important resources in Chicago’s Muslim American communities is inpiring, and this award is much-deserved. The award was presented at the CCA’s annual MOSAIC Gala; other […]
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Isra Omar, one of MALA’s Fellows in the Chicago area, was recently invited to share her journey on a special panel at the 1st Annual Refugee & Immigrant Summit at Northwestern University. The purpose of this summit was to bring our CPS refugee and immigrant students from across the city together to engage in a […]
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Next month, MALA Co-Founder, Emil Aldaddah will be honored by the Chicago Cultural Alliance at their annual MOSAIC gala. Emil will be awarded the prestigious Outstanding Community Leader Award for his dedicated work to create opportunity and important cultural dialogue in his community.
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On March 30th, MALA partnered with AMENA Creative to host a day of cultural activities in celebration on the Persian Nowruz holiday. MALA invited Master Sommelier, Anahita Shams and Professor Touraj Daryaee of University of California Irvine to discuss their new BBC documentary on the history and origins of Shiraz wine.
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On Monday, March 18th, MALA hosted a panel in parallel with the 63rd annual meeting of the United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). The panel, titled, “Addressing FGM in the USA: Safeguarding Survivors and Potential Victims,” brought together five experts from various fields who do work or activism relating to Female Genital Mutilation or Cutting.
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Recently, MALA recieved an official letter of endorsement from the office of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. In this letter, Governor Pritzker endorses MALA’s Nowruz celebration, and commends MALA’s hard work to provide a platform for storytelling, create leadership opportunities, and spark dialogue in Muslim American communities.
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