Cordoba House, in partnership with Hartford Seminary and with a sponsorship from IIIT, launched and successfully completed the first semester of workshops of the Muslim Leadership Training Program in New York City in spring 2016. The vision for the program is to train moderate, forward-thinking, and spiritually well-versed leaders. The program provides a foundation of practical skills and the knowledge required for individuals to confidently guide and lead within their communities.

The sessions were taught by Cordoba House president, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, with an experienced team of instructors, including Timur Yuskaev, Co-Director of the Islamic Chaplaincy Program, Hartford Seminary; Joshua Salaam, singer with the group Native Deen, Youth Director at ADAMS Center in Virginia, and a student at Hartford Seminary; Dr. Khalid Rehman, a well-respected oncologist with the Islamic Medical Association of North America; and Erhan Yildirim, Muslim Community Coordinator with the New York Police Department. Participants included a select group of trainees from Columbia University, NYU, CUNY, Masjid Dar Al-Taqwa, and Masjid Al-Aqsa.

 

The program will continue over the course of one year until spring 2017. The next series will cover Fundamentals of Shariah Law: Methods and Approaches, Islamic Law in the Context of America.  Instructors for this session will include experts such as Dr. Jasser Auda, recognized professor in the field of Islamic law, and Abed Awad, Esq, attorney and community leader in New Jersey, who has worked and lectured extensively on Shariah law. The Fall workshops begin October 29, 2016.   View more photos.

Learn more about the Muslim Leadership Training Program

It was bright and sunny on the morning of September 14, 2016, as students and staff arrived at the United Nations International School (UNIS) to be greeted by a large banner exclaiming "EID MUBARAK!"  For the first time, UNIS staff co-hosted an Eid Al Adha celebration for their students and teachers with Cordoba House.

Naz Georgas, Executive Director of Cordoba House, along with Katherine Ahmed, Program Manager, and Risalat Zakaria, Program Associate, worked with Nancy Ibrahim, Assistant Director of Admissions for UNIS, to plan a meaningful and educational Eid Al Adha event. Booklets written for the occasion by Cordoba House staff were handed out to students.  The literature highlighted the story of Abraham's devotion, faith, love, sacrifice, and how Eid Al Adha honors him and his family.  A special section in the booklet was dedicated to the importance of treating animals with care and dignity.

 

Tables were set up with finger foods, samosas, stuffed grape leaves, and a table for henna artists to put designs on a long line of excited young girls.  Decorations and slideshows of Eid celebrations from all over the world had piqued students' curiosity, and many were truly interested about why Muslims celebrate this holiday.  Students pored over Cordoba House's table, seeking homemade molasses and ginger cookies shaped as stars and crescent moons.

Cordoba House's Fall Semester starts Sunday, October 9, 2016, and includes the topics Salat and Zakat; Adab and Akhlaq; The lives of Prophet Ibrahim, Musa, Isa, and Muhammad PBUT; and Islam in America. For more information, click here or contact Naz Georgas at [email protected].  

In 2016, Cordoba House participated in the Chautauqua Institution's Summer Week Three on Moral Leadership, a fitting theme for the organization and its founder, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf. During this week, each day began with an invigorating Dhikr led by Imam Feisal, during which the audience expressed feelings of deep inner peace and divine connection. The Imam's daily teachings of faith and unity resonated with an enthusiastic interfaith audience. Since 2001, Imam Feisal has led Dhikr and other programs at the Chautauqua Institution, and many expressed hope for continued sessions.

Imam Feisal held a well-attended reading for his latest book, Defining Islamic Statehood: Measuring and Indexing Contemporary Muslim States. The enlightening session covered the real definition of an Islamic state, its form, and its function in a modern world. The Imam answered questions and engaged a captivated audience.

In addition, Cordoba House welcomed members of multiple denominational houses, including leaders of respective churches and synagogues, to share thoughts on worship and spiritual guidance. Naz Georgas, Executive Director of Cordoba House, welcomed guests as staff served home brewed ginger tea and delicious hor d'oeuvres made with organic, locally grown ingredients. Imam Feisal and Dr. Abubaker Ahmed, Regional Executive Director of the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Cordoba House board member, addressed the crowd, and Sabeeha Rehman shared her experience as a long-time Chautauquan and author of her new book,  Threading My Prayer Rug: One Woman's Journey from Pakistani American to American Muslim.

As a fitting culmination of a week of inspiration and spirituality, Imam Feisal was invited to lead the Friday Jummah prayer, with a program conducted by two Muslim students from the Chautauqua Institute's APYA (Abrahamic Program for Young Adults). The crowd, most of whom were non-Muslim, was invited to experience the ritual prayer by Imam Feisal. It was truly an enchanting experience. View more photos.