2020 Banquet Speakers

Panelist: Dr. Ibraheem Samirah

Growing up in the Chicago suburbs, Ibraheem enjoyed a typical American childhood—watching basketball in the bleachers, riding bikes with my brothers, and then getting around to my homework.

That all changed in middle school when his father traveled to Jordan to care for his ailing mother and was denied re-entry to the U.S. by the Bush Administration. His family uprooted and relocated to stay together and fight for his father’s reinstatement. It took eleven years, but they won.

Ibraheem worked hard in school so he could one day return to the country he loved. He attended American University and went on to Boston University for dental school. Today, he runs a community based dental practice serving patients throughout metro DC.

Now, he serves in Virginia’s House of Delegates to give back—by helping families stay healthy, with more opportunities to succeed, and more time to spend together.

Panelist: Abrar Omeish

Abrar Omeish currently serves as a School Board Member At-Large in Fairfax County, overseeing a three billion dollar budget for 1.2 million constituents right outside of Washington, DC. She is the first Libyan every elected in US history and the first Muslim and youngest ever elected in her role.

Abrar co-founded an organization providing thousands of underprivileged youth with free tutoring and mentorship in 20 locations over the past ten years. After working as a senior organizer at the DNC, she was a legal fellow at a human rights and immigration law firm and has been a spokeswoman for the #NoMuslimBanEver campaign.

Abrar holds a double bachelors with honors from Yale University where she served as MSA president and has pursued religious studies classically both domestically and abroad. She is a current dual MPP/JD student and Blume law fellow at Georgetown.   

Panelist: Sadia Covert

Sadia G. Covert is a licensed attorney in the State of Illinois and is one of the founding partners at Covert Marrero Covert, LLP.  She earned her Juris Doctorate from Western Michigan University in 2008 with a concentration in litigation. She currently counsels clients in Corporate law, various business transactions and business consulting, and acquisition and disposal of commercial and residential property. She also represents her clients in civil litigation matters that arise from corporate disputes.

Sadia has diverse legal experience, beginning with her time at the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office, prosecuting cases in the areas of DUI, Domestic Violence, Misdemeanors, Juvenile, and Civil Collections and Forfeitures. She then began work in the field of consumer bankruptcy and foreclosure defense, financially advising clients and dealing with numerous cases involving mortgage foreclosures and later worked in the area of Workman’s Compensation. Currently, Sadia practices Corporate Law and Business Transactions, Commercial and Residential Real Estate, Business Consulting, and Civil Litigation.

In addition to her legal experience, Sadia Covert currently serves as a County Commissioner for DuPage County Board (District 5, elected 2018). She also serves on Dupage’s Economic Development committee, Illinois State Association of Counties, National Association of Counties, Development committee, and Greater Oakbrook Chamber of Commerce. Sadia has also passed legislation in Illinois amending the criminal penal code on hate crimes.

Scholar: Sh Kifah Mustapha

Sheikh Kifah Mustapha is the Imam and Director of The Prayer Center of Orland Park He is the appointed representative for the Ministry of Religious Affairs in Lebanon (Darul Fatwa) on behalf of the Lebanese Community in the USA

Sheikh Kifah Mustapha serves as the Chairman of the Illinois Council of Imams and Scholars and Chairman of the Quran Institute of Chicago MAS. He also served as a member on the Advisory Boards of The Mission and Spiritual Care for Advocate Health Group in Illinois, The Council for the Center for Faith and Community Health Transformation and The American Islamic College in Chicago.

He has received the CAIR-Chicago Mobilizer Award, the Arab American Business & Professional Association’s Outstanding Leadership Award and Lincoln Land Legends’ Scholars for Dollars Award. He is an experienced public speaker and an active participant in interfaith relations.

Sheikh Kifah Mustapha holds a bachelor’s in Sharia from American Islamic University in VA, USA, a diploma of Sharia (Master’s Program) from Beirut Islamic University (Azhar Beirut) in Beirut, Lebanon, and a diploma of Islamic Studies (Master’s Program) from Global Theological Foundation in IN, USA.

Scholar: Tariq I. El-Amin

Tariq I. El-Amin is the Resident Imam of Masjid Al-Taqwa, on Chicago’s south side. He has been an active member of the Muslim community, nationally, and locally for over 20 years. In 2019, Tariq represented the Muslim community  at the historic inauguration of Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, the city’s first African American woman elected mayor, where he offered a prayer for guidance; at the Cook County State's Attorney’s annual Victim’s Memorial where he offered the invocation and benediction; at Illinois Gov. J.B.  Pritzker’s expungement announcement at Trinity United Church of Christ where he (and other faith leaders) offered a moral framing for the announcement.   

Tariq is the former host/producer of Radio Islam USA, where he conducted hundreds of interviews with artist, authors, scholars, activist, and politicians including current mayor, Lori Lightfoot.  He continues this work as the host/producer of Bridging the Gap with Tariq I. El-Amin.

Tariq is currently completing graduate studies at Bayan-Chicago Theological Seminary focusing on Islamic Chaplaincy, and resides in the south suburbs with his wife, Dr. Aisha El-Amin, of 20 years and their three teen daughters.