Omar Suleiman
American Islamic scholar
Here's a timeline of Dr. Omar's life:
Omar Suleiman (born June 3, 1986) is an American Islamic scholar and civil rights activist. He is the founding president of the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research and an adjunct professor of Islamic studies and member of the Ethics Center Advisory Board at Southern Methodist University.
Omar Suleiman was born in 1986 in New Orleans to a family of Palestinian Muslims. He holds bachelor's degrees in accounting and Islamic law and Master's degrees in Islamic finance and political history. He completed doctoral studies in Islamic thought and civilization at the International Islamic University Malaysia
After completing his doctoral degree in Malaysia, Suleiman returned to New Orleans and served as the imam of the Jefferson Muslim Association for six years, and as director of the "Muslims for Humanity" Hurricane Katrina relief effort in late 2005. He co-founded the East Jefferson Interfaith Clergy Association and received an award for outstanding civic achievement from the mayor and city council of New Orleans in 2010.
In 2016, Suleiman founded the Muslim think tank Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research. He is also the founding director of MUHSEN (Muslims Understanding and Helping Special Education Needs), a nonprofit umbrella organization that aims to create more inclusive Muslim communities that better cater to the disabled and their families.
He was (as of May 2019) Adjunct Professor of Islamic Studies at Southern Methodist University, where he was also a member of the Maguire Ethics Center Advisory Board.
He is (as of September 2022) Resident Scholar of the Valley Ranch Islamic Center and co-chair of Faith Forward Dallas at Thanks-Giving Square.
“What you see in other people is a reflection of yourself. A person of goodness sees goodness in others and a person of evil sees evil in others.”