Category: March

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, CAIR-Ohio is honored to recognize and celebrate the remarkable accomplishments of Muslim women in our local communities. These women are breaking barriers and shattering stereotypes in a variety of fields, including healthcare, education, social justice, and beyond.

Tahseen Naiyer — Islamic School Teacher, Muslim Chaplain at Ohio Reformatory for Women 

Tahseen Naiyer has an MS in Physiology, and a M Phil in Pathophysiology. She has been an active member of the Columbus Muslim community for over 30 years. Together with Sr. Shahida Khan, she has been conducting a Women’s Halaqa for Urdu-speaking sisters for nearly three decades, starting at Masjid Omar Khattab and continuing at Noor Islamic Cultural Center. During the day, Tahseen teaches at a private Islamic school in Columbus, where she finds great satisfaction in seeing her students grow and develop as they learn new material. 

In addition, Tahseen serves as a Muslim Chaplain at Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville, Ohio. Most of the incarcerated Muslim women she works with are converts, with diverse ethnic backgrounds including African Americans, White Americans, Somalis, Palestinians, and Latinos. Being an incarcerated Muslim woman presents unique challenges, and Tahseen finds some of the women she works with inspiring in their efforts to learn and implement Islam while in prison. 

When these women leave prison, they often face significant reintegration challenges and are invisible to the Muslim community at large. Tahseen believes that they need support, especially since they typically receive only $18-20 per month, which limits their ability to afford essential Islamic materials such as hijabs, prayer rugs, dates for Ramadan, and sweets for Eid. As such, Tahseen encourages the community to provide any support they can, both while these women are incarcerated and after their release. Individual contributions can make a significant impact on their lives.  

To donate, contact Tahseen at TahseenNaiyer@yahoo.com. 

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, CAIR-Ohio is honored to recognize and celebrate the remarkable accomplishments of Muslim women in our local communities. These women are breaking barriers and shattering stereotypes in a variety of fields, including healthcare, education, social justice, and beyond.

Dr. Zaiba Malik, MD – Ophthalmologist, CEO, Medical Director, Consultant, Educator, Speaker 

Zaiba Malik, M.D. is a board- certified Ophthalmologist, specializing in comprehensive, cataract, and global ophthalmology.  After attending medical school at the University of Miami, she completed her internship and ophthalmology residency at Henry Ford Hospital in 2005. She has experience in both academic and private practice. She is currently an attending at Kettering Hospital in Dayton, involved with resident education and training. In addition to clinical practice, she is a Medical Director and Therapeutic Lead at Medpace, a global CRO, providing full service clinical development to biopharmaceutical and medical device companies. She is sought out by small biotechs to consult as a strategic lead for drug development teams due to her ability to effectively design protocols in ophthalmology trials that meet regulatory rigor, distinguish the product from its competitive landscape, and make meaningful improvements in patients’ treatments. 

Dr. Malik has been serving as Assistant Clinical Professor in the Surgery Department at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine since 2008. She participates in the global health education advisory, the scholarship in medicine, and the medical school admissions committees.  She is passionate about global health and conducts yearly humanitarian camps mostly partnering with NGOs to provide cataract surgery to economically underserved areas. She believes in engaging all stakeholders to share resources and strategies in a more collaborative and sustainable approach to global eye care delivery. 

Dr. Malik currently has several professional affiliations, board positions, and involvement in societies including the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Ophthalmic World Leaders, American Muslim Health Professional, ORBIS, the YWCA, Women Walking West, and Women in Ophthalmology. She has authored numerous publications in the field of ophthalmology and speaks nationally and internationally on sustainable global health, professional development, nonclinical careers, and leadership. 

Much of her local volunteer time has been centered around the themes of equity through addressing racial, gender, and health disparities.  

Her professional honors and awards include the AAO Achievement Award, Excellence in the Field of Ophthalmology, Women Leads Award, YWCA Outstanding Women of Achievement Award, The Ophthalmologists 2021 Power List of Top 100 Women in Ophthalmology, and Henry Ford’s 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award. 

Connect with Dr. Malik and follow her work on LinkedIn. 

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, CAIR-Ohio is honored to recognize and celebrate the remarkable accomplishments of Muslim women in our local communities. These women are breaking barriers and shattering stereotypes in a variety of fields, including healthcare, education, social justice, and beyond.

Dr. Dorothy Hassan, Ph.D. — CEO of Our Helpers, Adjunct Professor at eCornell 

For over 15 years, Dr. Dorothy Hassan has been a noteworthy community leader and voice for adult English language learners around the globe. With teaching experience from 3 different countries and lived experience as an expatriate living abroad for more than a decade, cultural humility is her superpower. She is an adjunct professor at Cornell University and her published works in the field of DE & I and Cultural Competence are a small part of her voice for positive social change. She is also a champion for mental health awareness and wellness. Dr. Hassan is currently serving as the Executive Director at Our Helpers. As a minority woman leader of a nonprofit organization, Dr. Hassan is committed to building the capacity of immigrant and refugee families of Central Ohio. 

Connect with Dr. Hassan on LinkedIn. 

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, CAIR-Ohio is honored to recognize and celebrate the remarkable accomplishments of Muslim women in our local communities. These women are breaking barriers and shattering stereotypes in a variety of fields, including healthcare, education, social justice, and beyond.

Dr. Marium Husain, MD, MPH – Oncologist, President of IMANA 

Dr. Marium Husain, MD, MPH is an oncologist at The Ohio State University James Comprehensive Cancer Center. She graduated from The Ohio State University College of Medicine and completed a residency in Internal Medicine. 

Marium has been working on community service projects in the Columbus area and abroad for the past 10 years. As the President of the national non-profit, IMANA (Islamic Medical Association of North America), she has been working on the National Muslim Task Force on COVID-19, public health education and creating domestic campaigns for food insecurity, reproductive health, mental health and climate change. IMANA is a leading resource and network for American-Muslim physicians, dentists and other healthcare professionals in North America. 

She also helped start the Muslim Healthcare Professionals Advocacy Network (MPAN), now under CAIR-Ohio. The network’s goal is to help promote advocacy, expertise and engagement of healthcare professionals.  

Marium has a strong passion for social justice projects, including climate change/global warming, food insecurity and women’s rights. Faith is a driving force in her life, and she has seen the profound impact of integrating science and faith in her own life. 

Connect with Dr. Husain on LinkedIn. 

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, CAIR-Ohio is honored to recognize and celebrate the remarkable accomplishments of Muslim women in our local communities. These women are breaking barriers and shattering stereotypes in a variety of fields, including healthcare, education, social justice, and beyond.

Munira Abdullahi – Ohio Representative (D9), Youth Director MAS Columbus 

State Representative Munira Yasin Abdullahi grew up in the heart of Columbus, graduating from Columbus Alternative High School (CAHS) and receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from The Ohio State University. She began her public service career working in a nonprofit, advocating for and promoting youth development, leadership, and community service. 

In Jan 2023, State Rep. Munira Yasin Abdullahi made history when she took the oath of office during the opening session of the 135^th Ohio General Assembly at the Ohio Statehouse becoming the first Somali American, Muslim Woman and youngest serving member in the Ohio House of Representatives. On March 16, State Rep. Munira Yasin Abdullahi was elected Vice Chair of the Ohio Democratic Women’s Legislative Caucus (ODWLC) for the 135^th General Assembly. Below are some highlights of Representative Abdullahi’s efforts to advocate for constituents of the 9th House District and all Ohioans.  

Legislation #1: World Hijab Day Resolutions 

Rep. Munira will soon introduce two pieces of legislation to recognize and codify February 1^st as “Ohio World Hijab Day”. Ohio’s greatest asset as it continues to grow is its diversity. Adopting legislation to recognize and codify this day, will not only aid in combating the bigotry and discrimination that hijabis and Ohio’s Muslim community face, but will strengthen our growing and diverse state. 

Hijab is most commonly understood as the headscarf worn by women of the Muslim faith. Muslim women who wear the Hijab, also known as Hijabis, come from many personal and communal backgrounds but often face similar experiences regarding their veiling.      

Throughout the world, Muslims, particularly hijabis, face discrimination and harassment. From hijab bans to Muslim bans, there are endless examples. February 1st, 2023 marks a decade of the international holiday, “World Hijab Day”. The holiday’s organizers have since created the nonprofit organization, World Hijab Day. The vision and mission of the nonprofit and, by extension, “World Hijab Day” is to create a world united through diversity by raising awareness, education, and empowerment in hopes of dismantling bigotry, discrimination, and prejudice against Muslim women. 

Legislation #2: Require Public Schools to Provide Free Feminine Hygiene Products in School Restrooms: 

Additionally, Representative Munira will soon introduce legislation that will require public schools to provide free feminine hygiene products in school restrooms to ensure all students have access to this basic necessity. Rep. Munira believes access to period products removes barriers to education. 

About 25 percent of menstruating students struggle with access to menstrual products, according to a recent study. This lack of access has resulted in a loss of time spent in the classroom. The same study found that close to 80 percent of menstruating teens said they have either missed class time, or know someone who has missed class time, because they did not have access to menstrual products. 

Subscribe to Rep. Abdullahi’s newsletter to stay updated on her work. 

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, CAIR-Ohio is honored to recognize and celebrate the remarkable accomplishments of Muslim women in our local communities. These women are breaking barriers and shattering stereotypes in a variety of fields, including healthcare, education, social justice, and beyond.

Tala Ali – Xavier University Muslim Chaplain, Community Activist 

A daughter of immigrants, Tala Mohammad Ali grew up in inner-city Cincinnati, attended CPS K-12, and identifies as a proud Cincinnatian. She has now served as the Muslim Chaplain and facilitator of service, justice, and interfaith immersion programming at Xavier University for over 7 years. Tala is also an active member of the national Association of Muslim Chaplains and Association for Chaplaincy and Spiritual Life in Higher Education. She has actively worked with Interfaith America and annually leads students on a delegation to their national conference in Chicago. Tala was recognized by the YWCA and completed the Rising Star Leadership Program in 2022, which “equips high-performing women to become equity leaders…and prepares participants for non-profit board service.” 

She is a passionate and present member of the Cincinnati community, involved in various justice and equitable initiatives and movements. She has over 20 years of experience working with non-profit, community organizations, and political campaigns. 
 
Tala is a longtime member and attendee of Clifton Mosque and holds its community close to her heart. She also currently serves on the Clifton Mosque board and is a passionate advocate for creating nurturing and inclusive spaces in the Muslim community, where a diverse spectrum of people not only feel safe but want to be a part of. 

Connect with Tala here.