To commemorate Black History Month, CAIR-Ohio is celebrating the rich legacy and contributions of Black Americans, with a particular focus on highlighting Black Muslim excellence and their mark on our nation. This week, our attention turns to three individuals who are renowned for their scholarship.
Stay engaged with the series, on CAIR-Ohio’s Facebook and Instagram, and keep an eye on your weekly email newsletter from us.
Missed Week 1? View it here.
See our Week 2 spotlights below:
Abdul Hafeez Waheed is a leader of the Muslim American community in Durham, North Carolina. In 1998, he served as the first Muslim Chaplain of Duke University and continues to participate in the religious life of the institution. Waheed is highly regarded for his communal work to advance the interests of Muslim Americans in his community and dedicated his career to educating others about Islam and the Muslim world. He was the recipient of the 1996 MLK Keeper of the Dream Award. Presently, he serves on many committees and organizations in the greater Durham region.
Ieasha Prime is an educator, scholar, and Executive Director of the Yan Taro Project, a philanthropic organization dedicated to educating and providing services for communities in need. She pursued religious studies abroad and learned Arabic and the Quran at the Fajr Institute in Cairo, Egypt. She continued her studies in Yemen to continue her scholarship in Aqeedah, Quran, Hadith, Fiqh, and Shariah, ultimately receiving several scholarly licenses.
Continuing her career as an educator, she combined her passion for Islamic studies, activism and community service. She co-founded Barakah INC, an organization committed to training Muslim women in traditional Islamic sciences. She leads courses focusing on race and gender in the Muslim community.
Dr. Butch Ware is a historian with a focus on Africa and Islam. He earned his doctorate in 2004 at the University of Pennsylvania and instructed at the University of Michigan, Northwestern University, and presently University of California, Santa Barbara. Dr. Ware’s lectures on Islamic Thought, anti-slavery movements in West Africa, and the African diaspora, and his research explores the intersection of Race, Religion, and Social Movements. His publications include Jihad of the Pen: Sufi Thought in West Africa, and The Walking Quran: Islamic Education, Embodied Knowledge and History in West Africa highlighting the development of Islam in West African societies and cultures.
