Message From MALA’s Board: Honoring Muslims in Philanthropy and the Arts

Message From MALA’s Board: Honoring Muslims in Philanthropy and the Arts

The following is a statement on behalf of the MALA board of directors regarding an event that was hosted in Washington D.C. in October honoring Muslim leaders in philanthropy and the arts.

“On October 15, 2020, Muslim American Leadership Alliance, in partnership with American Pakistan Foundation, hosted a private, socially distanced event at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. to honor two Community Builders: Energy titan Javaid Anwar, and legendary fashion designer Naeem Khan. The event was limited to 50 socially-distanced guests and consisted of a networking hour and an awards ceremony honoring Mr. Anwar and Mr. Khan.

This small gathering brought together MALA community builders, cultural leaders, and innovators to celebrate the contributions of these two great men to the American Muslim community. The honorees of this event were given awards for their respective contributions to Muslim American communities in the fields of philanthropy and the arts.

MALA is honored to amplify the voices and deeds of individuals like Mr. Anwar and Mr. Khan and we are thrilled to welcome these creative and generous individuals into our community. We are proud to have built a
community that spans different beliefs, creeds, and identities, demonstrating the true diversity of the American Muslim community.

We recognize that, given the current state of public health, in-person events have become increasingly rare. However, we emphasize that this function was organized with the utmost care and concern for the safety of our guests. We felt that this event was not only necessary, but crucial to our mission in this moment: MALA exists to bring people together, and to recognize and celebrate the success of our community, even during times of hardship.

We, the MALA board of directors, affirm that this event was hosted with the utmost caution and concern for the health and safety of our guests and the hotel staff. We would also like to formally congratulate Naeem Khan and Javaid Anwar on their awards, and thank them for their important work. Finally, to our community, we look forward to a day when we can once again gather in person to continue building, growing, and learning together.”

Sincerely,

Zainab Khan
Emil Aldaddah
Naeem Uddin
Kalid Loul
Ahmed Zabi Rahat

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