For Haady Taslim, going from teaching children to read in inner-city New Orleans to registering American Muslim voters in Chicago's southwest suburbs felt like a natural transition.
Both jobs required hard work and dedication. And for Haady, both had enormous pay-off: helping people seize the tools and the opportunities to be a fully engaged member of American society.
Haady, 26, was born in Tuscon, Arizona, but his parents were immigrants from a small town in Iran. Their experiences shaped his decision to teach for two years with Teach for America in one of New Orleans' poorest schools. The life-transforming experience inspired him to take on his next challenge: registering American Muslims to vote in Chicago's southwest suburbs for the 2006 midterm election.
"I don't think American Muslims are the only ones to gain when we engage in the process," Haady says of his civic engagement work. "America gains when American Muslims become involved. We value family, we value charity, and we value faith. These are values that are universal throughout the U.S. We are hard working like most Americans and are willing to sacrifice for our country in order to give our children a better life."
Haady recalls that the get-out-the-vote campaign was tough, but help came from an unexpected source: local high school students from the Muslim community.
"There was a huge outpouring from the American Muslim community, especially high school students," according to Haady. "We were able to secure over 200 volunteers to work on election day. The students were instrumental in bringing their parents into the process."
As a result of the grassroots registration drive, more than 1,200 new voters registered and turnout at the polls increased by over 50% -- a remarkable feat considering that voter turnout usually drops during midterm elections.
For Haady, the impact of the drive hit home when he learned about an older man in his 60s he had helped register at the polling station. "He had never voted before in his life and he was so nervous, you could tell he wanted to make the right choices." Haady says. "It just solidified in my mind that voting is something that we can't take for granted."
Posted March 2007
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