On December 7th Meira Neggaz of the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding joined us for a detailed presentation on American Muslims.
Date: Thursday, December 7th
Time: 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm
Location: 11200 Waples Mill Rd. Suite 360 Fairfax, VA 22030
Who are American Muslims? What do they hold dear? What do they believe in? What are their concerns, their fears, their dreams? Who is my neighbor? This discussion aims to open up all of these questions, among others that you, your friend, your community and your country has had.
American Muslims have been thrown into social and political debates since the aftermath of the devastating events of 9/11 that sent the entire country into mourning. Many of those who lost their lives during the attacks were American Muslims. Yet, because of the actions that were taken by a few extremists against American civilians, it was this group that was punished for their actions. In 2015, 14 years after that fateful day, physical assaults against Muslims in the United States have reached 9/11-era levels (with 93 assaults reported to the FBI in 2001, and 91 reported in 2015). There have been anecdotal reports of a continued rise in anti-Muslim hate crimes in the current year.
Muslims have been in America since before the birth of this nation and have continued to build and improve communities across this country. They are one of the largest religions in America yet still face prejudices about who they are and what they believe in. This presentation will draw upon the religion and history of Muslims, along with data that will allow insight into the American Muslim community.
Meira Neggaz is the Executive Director of the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), where she is responsible for the institution’s overall leadership, representation, strategy, and growth. Before joining ISPU, Meira was the Senior Program Officer for Marie Stopes International (MSI), a leading international health organization working in 42 countries. There, she led and managed programs in multiple countries, developed partnerships, and managed key grants and donor relationships. Formerly, Meira was the first Executive Director of WINGS in Guatemala, where she grew the organization from its infancy to become a national leader in the health sector, the Guatemalan Country Representative for Curamericas, establishing country presence and leading a USAID funded health program, and the Intake Team Leader at the Big Brother Association of Greater Boston. She holds a BA from Huron University, a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and an International Health Certificate from Boston University.