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Imaamur-Raatib
(Resident Imam)
Al-Hajj Talib 'Abdur-Rashid
Imam Al-Hajj Talib ‘Abdur-Rashid is the religious and spiritual leader of The Mosque of Islamic Brotherhood in Harlem, New York City. He has been a Sunni Muslim since 1971, a member of the mosque since that time, and its imam since 1989.
Imam Talib (as he is popularly known) is also the Amir (leader) of the Harlem Shura, a coalition of seven Harlem mosques. He is a Deputy Amir of the Majlis Ash-Shura (Islamic Leadership Council) of New York, and Deputy Amir of The Muslim Alliance in North America. Further, the Imam serves on or has advised several interfaith bodies located in New York City. They include Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement, A Partnership of Faith in New York City, The Temple of Understanding, The Interfaith Center of New York, The N.Y.C. Dept. of Education: Chancellor’s Interfaith Advisory Committee, the Bertram Beck Institute on Religion and Poverty,and the Malcolm X / Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center. He is also a founding member of The Tent of Abraham. |
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Imam 'Abdur-Rashid has given sermons and lectures in Mosques, Churches, Synagogues, and theological seminaries throughout New York City and beyond. He was a presenter at the Parliament of World Religions in both Chicago (1993) and Capetown, South Africa (1999). He was also the key American Muslim speaker at the International Conference on Religious Pluralism in Democratic Societies, in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia in 2002.
One of the original Muslim participants in the Harlem Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS, the Imam has served as a counselor to and advocate for Muslims living with AIDS, and their families, since 1990. He is the co-founder of the African-African American Commission on HIV/AIDS , Prevention and African Orphans, and to date is the only American Muslim member of the Advisory Committee to the International Muslim Leaders Consultation on HIV/AIDS. Imam Talib has also participated in training of faith leaders in the U.S. and Africa, in Islamic pastoral perspectives on HIV/AIDS |
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The Imam has also has served the city and state prisoners of New York as a Muslim Chaplain, since 1977. He worked in that capacity at the Sing-Sing Correctional Facility in Ossining, New York for 11 years, and is currently a part-time employee for the New York City Department of Corrections. As a religious activist for human rights, social justice, and the liberation of his people, Imam Talib is a member of the National Committee to Free Imam Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin (the former H. “Rap” Brown). Based upon Imam Talib's personal eyewitness of the trial proceedings, he believes that Imam Jamil did not receive a fair trial and thus is unjustly incarcerated. |
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Imam Talib 'Abdur-Rashid’s work has been the object of several featured articles in the New York Times , and is featured in the books American Islam, by Richard Wormser, Working on God, by Winifred Gallagher,and Restoring Faith: America’s Religious Leaders Answer Terror with Hope ,edited by Forrest Church. He is the author of both A Muslim Manifesto on Darfur , and Healing Indigenous Muslim Families in America His essay entitled “ African and African American Muslims in Early New York” was published by the NY Urban League, and Black Equity Alliance, in January, 2008, in their publication, The State of Black New York: 2007. Three books – Social Justice and the Prophetic Paradigm , Al-Islam, Muslims, and HIV/AIDS, and Essays on Self-Determination, are due for release in the year 2008.
Imam Talib is the host of a monthly Harlem-based radio show, entitled “Prophetic Echoes” , broadcast the 4th (and sometimes 5th) Friday of each month,at 90.3 FM in the NYC area, and whcr.org via internet stream). For media accounts, conduct internet search (e.g. Google,etc.) for “Imam Talib Abdur-Rashid”
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| PHOTOS ABOVE:
1- Imam Talib
2- At a graduation ceremony of the Banu Hilal Islamic Academy, Imam presents an award to a child (Abdul-Hakim Kamil) who is now an adult and haafiz (complete memorizer) of the Qur'an
3- Imam Talib (seated) with his mentor Shaykh Tawfiq in 1974 . The Imam was the Shaykh's student for 17 years and Assistant Imam for 13 years
4- Imam Talib appeared on the cover of the Muslim Journal newspaper, circa 1992
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