Title: Religious Leader
Organization: Islamic Center of America
Area of Expertise: Islamic Studies, Youth issues
Media Experience: TV, Print, Radio, CNN, NPR, BBC, New York Times, Detroit Free Press
Location: Dearborn, MI
Contact: Leah Borkin, Fenton Communication
Email
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Phone 212 584 5000 x 206
Imam Sayid Hassan Al-Qazwini was born in the holy city of Karbala, Iraq in 1964.
At at the inception of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, he immigrated to Iran along with his family, where in 1980, he joined the Islamic Seminary in Qum, which is the largest Shi’a seminary in the world today. During his studies, he administered a prominent Islamic journal called “Annibras,” or The Eternal Light. The journal addressed many social, historical and Islamic issues. In addition, he authored two books: Meditation on Sahihain, a critique of Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, and Prophet Mohammad: The Ethical Prospect.
Realizing that there was a dire need for scholars and religious leaders in the United States, where Islam was in the crawling stage of development, Al-Qazwini immigrated to the United States in late 1992 along with his family. For some time, he directed Azzahra Islamic Center, which was founded by his father, in Los Angeles, California. In addition, he conducted several Islamic Fiqh and various other Islamic classes during his four year span in Los Angeles.
In early 1993, Sayid Hassan Al-Qazwini was invited by the Islamic Center of America, in Detroit, to be the guest speaker for the Arabic program during the upcoming holy month of Ramadhan. This visit to Detroit’s Islamic Center of America, the oldest Shi’a mosque in the United States, was a stepping stone for his future in America.
In 1997 Sayid Hassan Al-Qazwini established residence in Dearborn, Michigan, as the Islamic Center of America asked him to serve as scholar and religious leader.
Realizing that the greatest energy and potential rested in the youth and the younger generations, he founded the Young Muslim Association (YMA) in 1998. This organization, affiliated with the Islamic Center of America, is aimed at educating the Muslim American youth, fostering leadership amongst them, and creating an environment in which they can actively promote Islam and effectively channel their efforts.
Al-Qazwini has also effectively influenced numerous political leaders in America to cater to the Muslim communities. The White House has invited him on several occasions to represent the Muslim community. He has met with President Clinton and President Bush to discuss issues pertaining to Muslim affairs. Al-Qazwini continues to be one of the most outspoken and influential Muslim Shi’a religious leaders in the United States.
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