Sh. Jamal Said

Sh. Jamal Said was born in the city of Ariha located in Palestine in the year of 1957, and graduated from the University of Imam Mohammed Ben Saood in Saudi Arabia in 1980. In 1981, he immigrated to the US to work in Illinois as a teacher in the school of Carla Mohammed, a school established mainly through the effort of the followers of Imam Warith El-Deen Mohammed (RA). After serving at the school for two years, Sh. Jamal went on to work for the Muslim American Youth Association, MAYA. The year 1985 marked a most significant milestone for Sh. Jamal in which he started the journey of his life as the Imam and director of the Mosque Foundation in Bridgeview, IL. In the years to that followed, Sh. Jamal put an enormous effort in educating the community and it providing spiritual guidance of the highest caliber until the Mosque Foundation developed to be one of the most outstanding Islamic centers in the USA that it is today

Dr. Abdel Azim M Elsiddig

He was born in the Sudan. He graduated in the Faculty of Law, U. of Khartoum. Later he received his Masters degree from the U of Penn Law School in Philadelphia. He then obtained his Doctorate degree ( Islamic Legal Theory) from Temple U., Philadelphia. He has served as a Postdoctoral Research Associate (Law, Religion & Society), at Temple U., and as a Professor of Islamic Law at the Islamic American University. He is Founder & former Director, Aqsa Family Center, Bridgeview, Illinois and is a Certified Life Coach of Scream Free Living. Dr Elsiddig currently resides in Palos Heights with his wife and their four children.

Amal Ali

Conducted her graduate studies at the University of Chicago on the acculturative coping strategies employed by Muslim American youth as they attempt to reconcile conceptual differences in their hyphenated identity. A long-time youth activist herself, she served as Head Counselor at the Muslim Youth Center in Bridgeview for four years and organized youth programs for Inner-city Muslim Action Network (IMAN). Her experience in youth development ranges from years of MYNA camps, MCC camps, MSA, and more.
 

Sh. Kifah Mustapha

Sheikh Kifah Mustapha is an Imam and the Associate Director of the Mosque Foundation in Bridgeview, IL. He is also a teacher of Islamic Studies at Universal High in Bridgeview IL.

Sheikh Kifah Mustapha serves as a committee member on the Advisory Board of Mission and Spiritual Care for Advocate Health Group in Illinois. Sheikh Kifah Mustapha also serves as a member on the steering Committee for Better Health Care Campaign in Illinois.

Sheikh Kifah Mustapha serves as the Interim President for SIFCA (the Shura of Islamic Family Counselors). He is also the Chairman of the Board for The Quran Institute MAS Chicago.

He is a member of the Arab American Religious Council of Greater Chicago.

Sheikh Kifah Mustapha is an experienced public speaker and an active participant in interfaith relations.

Edmund Arroyo

Edmund Arroyo is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Licensed School Social Worker. He is the founder of The Heartspeak Institute, which is an organization that provides counseling and education to individuals, couples, and families. He employs Cognitive-Behavioral therapy, within the framework of Systems Theory, when working with his clients. Using this perspective, psychological symptoms are viewed as manifestations of a dysfunctional family, marriage, or group dynamic. The focus of treatment then becomes the systems that the individual belongs to, not simply the symptomatic individual.

As a result of his extensive experience counseling families and couples in the Muslim community, Mr. Arroyo has been asked to present on marriage and family issues at numerous conferences. He has presented on matters of faith and marriage at the annual ISNA conference in Chicago, IL in 2005, 2006, and 2007. Mr. Arroyo co-taught “The Dynamics of Marriage in Muslim America”, for The Nawawi Foundation with Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah. He participated in teaching at the Zaytuna Minara conference on marriage in Chicago in June 2008. He has conducted workshops in Rockford, Champaign, and various suburban communities neighboring Chicago, IL.

Mr. Arroyo works full time in a public high school, providing individual counseling, transitional student assistance, and heading up leadership and drug prevention programming. He has provided training and consultation on a wide range of topics including but not limited to: classroom management, effective containment of bullying, creating a positive school culture, and peer mediation. He provides services in these areas for Islamic Foundation School, Villa Park, IL, Universal School, Bridgeview, IL, Aqsa School, Bridgeview IL, and College Preparatory School of America, Lombard, IL.

Mr. Arroyo is also co-founder and board member of The Mohammed Webb Foundation, where the goal is to promote the practice of Islam, while embracing the positive aspects of American life and culture. He converted to Islam in 1999, and has been working to advance the acceptance of constructive mental health dialogue in the Muslim community since 2000. He resides with his family in the suburbs of Chicago, IL

Dean Koldenhoven

Dean Koldenhoven, former mayor of Palos Heights, Illinois, was honored for his political courage in speaking out against religious discrimination and calling for tolerance within his community.

In May 2000, three years into his term, Mayor Koldenhoven confronted a crisis of intolerance in Palos Heights when plans to open a mosque in the Chicago suburb upset many residents and exploded into controversy within the town. Mayor Koldenhoven supported the sale of a vacant Christian church to the Al Salam Mosque Foundation, knowing it would be a test of his leadership. When an antagonistic city council failed to deter the sale, the council offered the Foundation a $200,000 buy-out to abandon its plans. To the ire of his colleagues and constituents, Mayor Koldenhoven vetoed the payoff, calling it an embarrassment and an insult to the Muslim community. “Government has no place in this issue,” he told city council members.

The mayor’s opposition drew national attention, resulting in a fierce public backlash against the middle-class community of 12,000. Residents blamed the mayor for bringing unwanted attention to the town and damaging its reputation. Ultimately, the Al Salam Mosque Foundation decided against moving to Palos Heights, and the town voted against purchasing the property.

Dean Koldenhoven lost his bid for re-election; many believed his defeat was due to the controversy surrounding his defense of religious freedom and tolerance