Muslims for Peace, Inc. humbly requests your presence at the Women in Islam – Prophet Muhammad Day Interfaith Conference on Sunday, March 25th, 2018 at 1:30 PM. This event will be held at Rutgers University, Cook Campus Center, Multipurpose Room (59 Biel Rd, New Brunswick, NJ 08901). Here is a link to a map
This year’s conference, Women in Islam: A Dialogue, will include a panel of female speakers discussing the role of women in spreading the message of Islam during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and continuing the movement in the age of modern world.
We kindly request that everyone register in advance for this event. The registration is quick, free, and saves you time at the door! Thank you.
Free Registration here
Conference Vendor Registration
Magazine & Sponsorship
Facebook Event Page
Speakers / Award Recipients:
Anisa Diab – Master of Ceremonies
Anisa Diab received her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Spanish from Salisbury University and her M.S. in Community Counseling from the University of Scranton. Diab is a Licensed Professional Counselor, National Certified Counselor, and Distance Certified Counselor in good standing. Most recently, Anisa Diab worked as Coordinator for the STAND4YOU suicide prevention program at Salisbury University’s Counseling Center. Currently, Anisa works as a Crisis Counselor for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. She also owns a distance-based counseling business, providing one-on-one sessions to clients from anywhere in the country with the aim of making mental health support more accessible and less stigmatizing. She uses her training and professional experiences to provide workshops and training on topics ranging from mental wellness to understanding Islam and coping with Islamophobia.
Najah Bazzy – Speaker
Najah Bazzy is a Transcultural Clinical Nurse Specialist and Diversity Specialist. She also is the Executive Director and Founder of Zaman International. She is CEO of Diversity Specialists and Transcultural Health Care Solutions. Bazzy has an extensive background in critical care nursing with special expertise in Cross-Cultural health care, beliefs, and practices. She is a global leader in Medical Ethics, Philanthropy, Nursing and Interfaith Dialogue and brings an ambassador style of diplomacy to her projects and life work.
Lesley Hazleton – Speaker
Lesley Hazleton is a British-American author whose work focuses on “the vast and volatile arena in which politics and religion intersect.” Her latest book, Agnostic: A Spirited Manifesto, a Publishers Weekly most-anticipated book of spring 2016, was praised by The New York Times as “vital and mischievous” and as “wide-ranging… yet intimately grounded in our human, day-to-day life.” Hazleton has written on the Middle East for numerous publications including The New York Times, The New York Review of Books, Harper’s, The Nation, and The New Republic. She has two degrees in psychology (B.A. Manchester University, M.A. Hebrew University of Jerusalem).
Books on religion and politics:
- Agnostic: A Spirited Manifesto 2016 (New York Times Editors’ Choice)
- The First Muslim: The Story of Muhammad (New York Times Editors’ Choice)
- After the Prophet: The Epic Story of the Shia-Sunni Split (Finalist: 2010 PEN-USA book award.)
- Jezebel: The Untold Story of the Bible’s Harlot Queen (Finalist: 2008 Washington Book Award.)
- Mary: A Flesh-and-Blood Biography (Winner: 2005 Washington Book Award.)
- Jerusalem, Jerusalem: A Memoir of War and Peace, Passion and Politics (Winner: 1987 American Jewish Committee/Present Tense Book Award).
- Where Mountains Roar: a Personal Report from the Sinai
- Israeli Women: The Reality Behind the Myths
Dr. Alaa Murabit – Speaker & Peace Award Recipient
Alaa Murabit is a medical doctor, one of 17 Global Sustainable Development Goal Advocates appointed by the UN Secretary General, and a UN High-Level Commissioner on Health Employment & Economic Growth. With a strong focus on challenging societal and cultural norms, Alaa champions women’s participation in peace processes and conflict mediation. Her TED Talk, released in July 2015, “What my religion really says about women” was selected as the TED Talk of the Day and one of four moving TED Talks you should watch right now by The New York Times. Alaa was nominated to address the UN General Assembly multiple times. Alaa completed her medical degree at the University of Zawia and went on to complete her Masters in International Strategy and Diplomacy with Distinction at the London School of Economics. She is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in Leadership and Security at Kings College London.
Kameelah Mu’Min Rashad – Speaker
Kameelah is the Founder and President of Muslim Wellness Foundation (MWF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing mental health stigma and promoting healing in the American Muslim community through dialogue, education, and training. Kameelah also serves as the Fellow for Spirituality, Wellness and Social Justice at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) and advisor for Penn Sapelo, the first Black Muslim Student organization on campus. In this capacity, Kameelah supports students in their exploration of faith-based activism, spirituality, emotional well-being, and healing. Working in conjunction with the Chaplain’s Office, she collaborates with other cultural centers on campus to facilitate intersectional conversations on race, religion, identity, belonging and advocacy. Kameelah served three years as the Muslim Chaplain at UPenn and continues to facilitate discussions on religious identity development and challenges faced by American Muslim youth. She is also a resource to the wider Penn community and administration on Islam and Muslims.
Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman – Leadership Award Recipient
Bonnie Watson Coleman, a long-time and influential advocate for the people of New Jersey, is currently serving her sophomore term in the United States Congress. Prior to her election as Representative for New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District, Watson Coleman served eight consecutive terms in the New Jersey General Assembly.
Amani Al-Khatahtbeh – Vibrant Muslim Award Recipient
Amani Al-Khatahtbeh is the founder and editor-in-chief of MuslimGirl, the #1 Muslim women’s blog in the United States. She’s also the author of “Muslim Girl: A Coming of Age.” She regularly provides commentary on social, cultural, and political issues on outlets like CNN, Al Jazeera, and the BBC, and has been featured in The New York Times, The Guardian, Teen Vogue, and made Forbes “30 Under 30” list. She is a frequent speaker at conferences and events addressing issues pertaining to women, Islam, and the Arab world.
Dr. Sandra Russell-Jones – Interfaith Award Recipient
Sandy Russell Jones is currently an Assistant Teaching Professor in the History and Religion Departments, and also directs the Middle Eastern Studies Program at Rutgers University. She teaches classes on Islamic history, women and gender in Islam, and Shi`i Islam. Her dissertation research was on Islamic family law in Bahrain, and she has traveled and studied broadly in the Middle East, including in Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, and Israel. When not pursuing academic work at Rutgers, Russell Jones volunteers in her local community, helping to resettle refugees of Middle Eastern conflicts, participating in Interfaith activities, and working in various Therapy Dog assistance programs with her trained therapy pet, Georgie. Russell Jones’ primary focus in both her academic and volunteer work is to strive toward bringing more humanity and compassion into what is a very troubled world.
Zahra Rasool – Youth Leadership Award Recipient
Zahra Rasool is the Editorial Lead for Contrast VR — Al Jazeera’s new immersive media studio where she focuses on the production of the compelling 360-degree video, Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) content. Before joining Al Jazeera’s Innovation Team, she was the Managing Editor of HuffPost RYOT where she was responsible for RYOT’s editorial strategy, managing the content team and combining journalistic storytelling with VR and 360-degree technology and in 2015, she founded her own startup Gistory. Her background is in documentary filmmaking and she is very passionate about new emerging platforms and immersive storytelling in shaping the future of the media.
Dr. Hatem Abushahba – Community Service Award Recipient
Hatem Abu Shahba, MD and a retired Nuclear Medicine specialist who practiced at St. Lukes Roosevelt Hospital in upper west side Manhattan. After retiring, he dedicated himself to serving Allah (swt) and the family of the Prophet Muhammad (s), the AhlulBayt (peace be upon them) and the community. He is currently the Director of Al-Ghadeer Islamic Education Center located in North Bergen, NJ and the Imam of Jum’ah prayers at Zainabia in Irvington, NJ. He is the author of the books titled, “Karbala Tribunals” and “The Final Conclusion: Your Journey to Certainty”.
We encourage everyone to share this event with their family and friends. Please refer to the mobile sharing site – https://spark.adobe.com/
Food will be served. Entrance and parking are free.
For any further questions or information, please email us at
Irshad Haji: irshadhaji@muslims4peace.org
Umar Shaikh: umar@muslims4peace.org
info@muslims4peace.org or 908-248-4254
