The evening of Thursday, August the 9th, was a special one for KARAMAH and a dedicated group of its friends and supporters. It was a time to gather for iftar, share in the collective spirit of Ramadan, and remind one another of the importance of KARAMAH’s work in paving the way for betterment of both the Muslim and non-Muslim community overall.
Imam Mohamed Magid, member of KARAMAH’s fiqh council, led a room full of Muslim and interfaith guests in a moving supplication prior to breaking the fast. Guests then ate dates and drank yogurt at the sound of the beautiful muezzin’s call, which echoed throughout the building. It inspired each person to focus inwards during prayer, acknowledging the problems facing humankind across the world and thus contemplating ways to become part of a solution.
A hearty iftar meal followed, consisting of both Arabic and South Asian cuisine. Guests engaged in jovial conversation and made many new friendships. Towards the end of the evening, KARAMAH debuted a promotional video from the 2012 Law and Leadership Summer Program (LLSP). This video shed a personal light on just a few of the many lives KARAMAH has touched, from a young Afghan American woman seeking to promote women’s rights overseas, to a politician running for Parliament in Kenya. The video illustrated KARAMAH’s expert role in selecting and bringing together these unique individuals from all corners of the globe, as well as its commitment to carefully cultivate each woman’s intellectual and leadership capability. Viewers were moved by the diversity represented in LLSP, and were uplifted by the fact that LLSP alumni ranged in age from 18 to early-60’s, demonstrating promise of female leadership well into the future.
The film was then followed by an address from KARAMAH’s founder and Chair, Dr. Azizah al-Hibri, who discussed the origins and vision of “Karamah,” as well as the reasons behind the name chosen for the organization. This prompted people to reflect upon their own understanding of what the word “karamah” represents. Does “karamah” refer to the empowerment of Muslim women or combating domestic violence in the Muslim community? Or does it refer to the dignity with which God endowed all human beings? And how does a non-profit organization based in Washington D.C. hope to promote “karamah”, or “dignity”, to all the “children of Adam” as guaranteed by God in the Qur’an (17:70)?
Dr. al-Hibri was followed by Executive Director Aisha Rahman, who confirmed the scope and importance of KARAMAH’s work in all fields and on all continents. She gave select examples of ways in which KARAMAH has prompted change in individuals and communities, at home and abroad.
This special night could not have been complete without KARAMAH’s recognition of those who have dedicated themselves, without payment or reward, to KARAMAH and its mission. Two of KARAMAH’s legal interns, Marium Durrani and Ola Mohamed, were presented with awards recognizing their outstanding initiative, a project focusing on providing mediation trainings to help promote and strengthen Muslim families. As interns like Ola and Marium become permanent members of the KARAMAH family, KARAMAH trusts that initiatives such as these will only continue to build KARAMAH’s capacity to affect the change it envisions. Also presented was an award recognizing KARAMAH- EU Steering Committee for their excellent work in supporting KARAMAH’s initiatives in Islamic scholarship and religious freedom in Europe.
As the evening drew to a close, while attendees reflectively sipped coffee, tea and conversed amongst each other, each was asked to privately consider how he or she could potentially become part of a select group helping to restore dignity, or Karamah, worldwide by supporting KARAMAH with a donation. With generous gifts from those who believe in the power of knowledge over ignorance, KARAMAH is able to provide trainings and educational opportunities that give individuals the knowledge to make positive change in their communities. While this particular evening focused on helping KARAMAH develop resources to carry out its mission, it served to reaffirm the idea that education is the key to upholding Islamic principles of justice, equality and humanity in our communities. While this serves as KARAMAH’s Ramadan message to the community, it is one to be remembered at all times, in all places.
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