Canton woman works toward unity, social justice

Canton resident Amina Iqbal has always seen herself as a teacher. The 34-year-old started volunteering in schools when she was 16 and taught in public and private sectors after receiving her degree in child development from the University of Wyoming. She went on to receive her master’s degree in education policy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

“I love working with kids,” the Brownstown native said. “My nickname used to be Mother Teresa.”

Iqbal, who practices Islam, said she thought she might be a school principal someday, but today she’s something of a political activist, working as outreach director for the Michigan Muslim Community Council and having recently graduated from Michigan State University’s Michigan Political Leadership Program.

“I never envisioned this route for myself,” Iqbal said.

If Iqbal had stayed in Virginia, where her husband – a “super nerd” bio-engineer, in Iqbal’s words – was working, or in California, where he did his graduate work, her career would have been different, she said. It was when Iqbal and her husband moved back to the Detroit area for his current job at Lawrence Technological University that she got involved with MMCC.

Iqbal’s brother encouraged her to apply for work at MMCC and in 2013 she became the nonprofit organization’s part-time civic engagement coordinator to help plan Michigan Muslim Capitol Day. Since then, she’s become MMCC’s full-time outreach director, planning multiple events and building relationships with elected officials to represent MMCC’s initiatives.

“Our goal is to unify the community and provide resources to make communities stronger,” Iqbal said of MMCC.

The work has awakened Iqbal’s political side. She now sees that the issues she’s so passionate about – diversity, multi-culturalism, equality, education – are often best addressed at the policy level.

“If you don’t speak up, no one’s going to speak up for you,” she said.

Iqbal described the moment when she realized how important politics are. She would often discuss political issues at the dinner table with her three daughters. Her then-6-year-old announced, “When I grow up, I want to be president.”

The fact that her daughter felt so empowered inspired Iqbal. “I never thought anything could be more rewarding than teaching,” she said. “Working with the council, I’m seeing how rewarding it is and how blessed I am. I can bring about change at the policy level.”

Iqbal especially enjoys Capitol Day, which mobilizes Muslims from around the state and enables them to bring issues to local policymakers. She particularly enjoys getting youth involved in the event. Last year, six schools sent students to the event and many middle school students asked intelligent questions, she said.

Political leadership

Iqbal attended MSU’s Political Leadership Program and she’s grateful for the experience.

The 10-month program selects fellows from the Republican, Democrat and Green parties, as well as those who consider themselves independents. The weekend sessions occur monthly and include presentations by policymakers, elected officials and other leaders; mock interviews on political issues; panel discussions; and other politically relevant activities.

“I honestly don’t even know how I got in,” Iqbal said. “I did it more for leadership and skill-building than to run for anything.”

Last year’s 24 graduates include a diverse mix of local government representatives, attorneys and other business leaders from around the state. The fellows got to hear speakers like state Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein, businessman Richard DeVos and many local politicians.

“There’s no other way you could meet these people,” Iqbal said.

What’s more, she said, the political diversity of the group exposed her to viewpoints she might not have considered: “You just see so many views. You realize this is how friendships are built.”

Changing education

One issue that’s near to Iqbal’s heart is education – specifically multi-culturalism in education. Her daughters – ages 11 and 8 – attended a charter school when she first came back to Michigan and they faced racism, mostly because teachers are not trained in culture competency, even though so many cultures exist in the area, she said. She would like to see that change.

For this reason, Iqbal has considered running for local office and possibly even working with the Michigan Department of Education someday, despite the fact that she believes it would be an uphill battle to get elected as a Muslim.

Canton is home to a diverse range of cultures, but that diversity is not represented in the township’s government, Iqbal said. “I wear a head covering; would people actually vote for me?” she wondered aloud.

Nevertheless, Iqbal has seriously considered running for a local office. “I know by running, I would dispel many stereotypes and offer a unique and sincere perspective, especially having gone through the Michigan Political Leadership Program and being a Michigan native,” she said.

“I am open about my faith and I know that my faith is what makes me a better person. Muslims are taught to treat others with love, compassion and respect. By building relationships in the community, I believe people will change their perspectives about Muslims,” she added.

Iqbal’s daughters currently attend an Islamic school and her 5-year-old son will go there once he’s old enough, but she’d like to put them back into the public school system for high school, she said.

Michigan Muslim Community Council

The Michigan Muslim Community Council, a nonprofit organization based in Royal Oak, has been serving the community since 1988. Born out of a desire to unify the diverse Muslim community in Detroit and throughout the state, MMMC is the newly named organization that unifies two groups: the Council of Islamic Organizations of Michigan, founded in 1988, and the Islamic Shura Council of Michigan, founded in 2005 with a focus on community service.

The organization’s three areas of focus are to unify Muslim communities, promote strong Islamic values and pursue social justice through civic engagement.

Community outreach and service projects are a big part of the organization’s work. In January, MMMC partnered with Islamic Relief USA to donate $100,000 to the Detroit Water Fund. The Water Fund, formed through a partnership between the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department and the United Way of Southeastern Michigan, provides low-income people with financial aid to pay utility bills.

MMMC also partners each year with the local Jewish community to participate in Mitzvah Day. On Dec. 25, volunteers from the Jewish and Muslim communities gather to provide service to local food banks, shelters and organizations that provide toys for Christmas. It’s a day of “good deeds,” as the Hebrew name suggests.

MMMC has an Imams Council of 30 Islamic clergymen from throughout southeast Michigan. These imams meet monthly to discuss the needs of local Muslims and are working to combat prejudices against their faith. The group frequently releases statements condemning the actions of those who commit terrorist acts in the name of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam.

“MMCC is not directly involved in disputing the ideology of extremists who are using the name of Islam to promote violence,” said Amina Iqbal, outreach director for the organization. “However, reaching out to people in non-Muslim communities and promoting a positive image of Muslims such as on Capitol Day, Mitzvah Day, Ramadan Fight Against Hunger and Unity Banquet are indirectly having the same effect.”

The organization recently brought Detroit into the national spotlight by partnering with the Islamic Society of North America to host the 2014 ISNA annual convention at Cobo Center. The convention drew 15,000 attendees and featured addresses by former President Jimmy Carter and Gov. Rick Snyder.

MMCC’s next big event is Michigan Muslim State Capitol Day on May 12 in Lansing. Muslims will bring their issues before legislators, ask questions and become more civicly engaged.

For more information, go to www.mimuslimcouncil.com.