Tag Archives: Dr Farah Usmani

Muslim Mirror’s founding editor among the Prominent Changemakers of 2024

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Events, Exhibitions, Conferences (wef. Nov 18th, 2021), Leaders, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA / Chennai, TAMIL NADU / INDIA :

Syed Zubair Ahmad, the founding editor of Muslim Mirror, has added another feather to his cap by being declared one of the prominent Changemakers of 2024 by the Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP). The prestigious recognition was announced during a grand event held at the B.S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science & Technology, a deemed university in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The event was graced by honorable guests and attended by a large gathering of participants from across India.

Ahmad, a distinguished journalist, is known for his powerful advocacy for the rights and representation of marginalized communities, particularly Muslims, in India. Over the course of his career, spanning more than two decades, he has built a reputation for his unwavering commitment to truth, justice, and journalistic integrity.

The Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP) is Mumbai based pan India  non-profit organization dedicated to the socio-economic empowerment of the Muslim community in India. Through initiatives in education, employment, and community development, AMP works to foster leadership, skill-building, and social welfare, connecting professionals and organizations nationwide for collective progress.

“In a memorable ceremony, 100 inspiring individuals were honored with Changemaker Awards, and 100 state-level NGOs were recognized in the Best and Jury categories. Additionally, 10 organizations were celebrated in prestigious national categories,” said a press statement issued by AMP.

Notable national NGO awardees include;

  • ALTNEWS
  • APCR (Association for Protection of Civil Rights)
  • IMRC (Indian Muslim Relief & Charities??)
  • Institute of Objective Studies (IOS),
  • Allana CSR
  • Pataka CSR and
  • Seethakathi Trust

Some of the prominent Changemaker awardees included;

  • Syed Zubair Ahmad (Muslim Mirror)
  • Mohammed Wajihuddin (Times of India)
  • Aslayah Kallakath (Maktoob Media)
  • Abdur Rahman IPS (Retd.)
  • Akramul Jabbar IRS (Retd.)
  • Hammad Rahman
  • Adil Meraj and
  • Syeda Ruksheda.

The Lifetime Achievement Award was posthumously bestowed upon the Late Moosa Raza, IAS (Retd.), which was received by his family.

The Omar Khatani Memorial Award was presented to the Tarraqi I Foundation, while BSA Crescent Institute of Science & Technology received the Partner of the Year Award.

Mrs. Mariam Habib, Trustee of B.S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science & Technology, served as the Chief Guest and commended AMP’s efforts in education, employment, and empowerment. She emphasized the role of NGOs in bringing about significant societal change in collaboration with policymakers, and she noted that the legacy of the late B.S. Abdur Rahman is being continued with great dedication by the current leadership.

Dr. N. Raja Hussain, Registrar of B.S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science & Technology and Guest of Honour, praised AMP’s work in recognizing and motivating various organizations and individuals. He highlighted the ongoing collaboration between the university and AMP in developing students and faculty through guest programs. The event was presided over by University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. T. Murugesan.

Motahar Hosain, Chief Executive and Guest of Honour, congratulated AMP for instituting these much-needed awards to acknowledge the contributions of individuals in the development sector. He remarked that despite the sacrifices made by these individuals in service to others, they seldom receive the appreciation they deserve, making these awards a significant recognition of their efforts.

 Mr. Farooq Siddiqui, Head of the AMP National Coordination Team and the driving force behind these awards, stated, “AMP believes in collaboration and has been working alongside multiple organizations since its inception. Through the AMP NGO Connect project, we are connected with over 7,000 social organizations across nearly all districts of India, helping them with capacity building and implementing AMP’s social welfare projects in their regions. These awards are our way of appreciating their efforts and motivating them to continue their impactful work.” He also thanked the AMP Chapter and state teams for mobilizing massive nominations and captivated the audience at the packed Crescent Convention Center Hall with his superb and engaging awards announcement.

 Ms. Shereen Sultana, State Head – AMP Tamil Nadu, in her address, shared details about AMP’s initiatives and invited everyone to join hands for the betterment of society and nation-building. She expressed her gratitude to the management and staff of B.S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science & Technology for their cooperation in hosting the event and mentioned how she took up the challenge of organizing the awards ceremony in Chennai.

AMP Tamil Nadu State Executive Team member Mr. Yahya Rasheed welcomed the guests and successfully hosted the event with the support of Prof. Ansar.

The awards process for the NASE was multi-layered, with state, central, and a 9-member distinguished jury led by A.R. Khan, IAS (Retd.), President of A.R. Welfare Foundation, Dr. Syed Zafar Mahmood, Founder & President of Zakat Foundation of India, Dr. Farah Usmani, Founder & Chairperson of Rising Beyond The Ceiling, Prof. Zubair Meenai, Professor & Former Head of the Dept. of Social Work, JMI, Prof. Naseem Ahmed Khan, Chairman of the Dept. of Social Work, AMU, Dr. Shazia Manzoor, Head of DSW, University of Kashmir, Sherin Ali, Global Lead – Corporate Social Responsibility, WNS, Sajid Ali, COO of Tech Mahindra Foundation, and Gulzar Hussain, Head of Government Partnerships, UN World Food Program (India).

The success of the 4th edition of the awards was attributed to the collaborative efforts of key AMP team members, including Sajjad Parvez, AMP Zonal Head – South India; Dr. B. Raja Hussain, State Secretary; Syed Faheem, Chennai Chapter Head; and Syed Deen, Chennai Chapter Secretary. Their contributions, along with the support from the back-office teams at the Central Offices in Mumbai and Vaniyambadi, were instrumental in making the event a success.

source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Indian Muslim> Media> Positive Story / by Muslim Mirror Desk / August 22nd, 2024

‘Muslim women fly planes, serve in police and armed forces, write books and create art’

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Inventions, Innovations (wef. Nov 30th, 2021), Leaders, Sports, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , , , , , , , , ,

Lucknow, UTTAR PRADESH:

Lucknow :

Muslim women are not a monolith, says Dr Farah Usmani, the founder and honorary editor of the “Rising Beyond The Ceiling” (RBTC), an initiative born out of frustration with the stereotypical narrative surrounding Muslim women in India. RBTC is preparing a directory of Muslim women who have excelled in different fields.

However, millions of Indian women, who identify themselves as Muslim, reach across spectra of ethnicities and languages, states and union territories, do not look the same or sound the same and contribute towards nation building in a variety of ways, says Dr Usmani adding that the compendium is under finalisation.

Member, UP Sunni Central Waqf Board, Sabiha Ahmad, who is busy preparing the list of prominent Muslim women in Uttar Pradesh, said, “The organisation is in the process of preparing a directory of such Muslim women who hold certain positions in social, corporate and professional workspace.”

She says the women spotlighted here from Uttar Pradesh do many things—they fly planes, serve in police and armed forces, they are skeet shooters and bike riders, write books and poetry, create art, play snooker and tennis, administer and govern, espouse social issues, serve as lawyers, scientists and doctors, are entrepreneurs and corporate professionals and are substantive contributors to the progress of the country.

Recently an online international meeting was organised in which the issue was discussed at length.

Veteran politician Mohsina Kidwai; vice chancellor, Era University, Lucknow, prof Farzana Mahdi; writer Sabeeha Anwar; artist Dr Farzana Shahabuddin and Samreen Ahmad were prominent among those who attended the virtual event.

Ahmad further says there is a myth surrounding Muslim women in India that they are highly conservative, prefer to stay home, not at par in education with women of other communities.

“Rising Beyond the Ceiling (RBTC), a non-profit organisation focused on supporting and promoting Indian Muslim women and their leadership and contributions in their respective fields, is working to bust this myth,” says Ahmad, who is also incharge, RBTC UP 100 .

RBTC UP 100 is a congregation of 100 women representing 22 million (2.2 crore) Muslim women from UP.

It is working under the leadership of Dr Farah Usmani, the founder and honorary editor of RBTC initiative who is also serving at United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) headquarters in New York as director-1 level.

“The stories of these Indian Muslim women are for all women and girls to draw inspiration, role model them and thus become mentors in their own districts and neighbourhoods thereby become inspirations themselves for future generations,” Ahmad adds.

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home / by HT Correspondent, Lucknow / September 22nd, 2021

Book on inspiring tales of Muslim women from Karnataka out

Amazing Feats, Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Events, Exhibitions, Conferences (wef. Nov 18th, 2021), Karnataka (under research project), Leaders, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , ,

Bengaluru, KARNATAKA:

“Rising Beyond The Ceiling was born out of the need to change the stereotypical narrative about Muslim women in India,” said Fatehally.

(L to R) Zoya Fatehally, Margaret Alva, Farah Usmani and Aiman Ansari at the book launch

Bengaluru:

 Recently, Rising Beyond the Ceiling launched their hardcover edition of Rising Beyond The Ceiling Karnataka publication, after releasing an e-book version of the same in November 2022. With 100 stereotype-shattering stories of inspiring Muslim women from Karnataka, the book is authored by Dr Farah Usmani and co-authored by Dr Zoya Fatehally and Aiman Ansari. Former Governor of Goa, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand, Margaret Alva was the chief guest while director Saad Khan hosted the evening’s launch party.

“Rising Beyond The Ceiling was born out of the need to change the stereotypical narrative about Muslim women in India,” said Fatehally. “The need to change the narrative behind the stereotype about Indian Muslim women not contributing to the nation much and how Muslim women are known for getting  married and having a lot of kids and not working was one of the inspirations that drew to author such a book,” said Aiman Ansari, the co-author. 

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Express News Service / March 01st, 2023